Britt Assombalonga bagged a brace as Nottingham Forest held Bolton Wanderers to a 2-2 draw in an entertaining clash at the Reebok Stadium this afternoon.

All four goals were scored in a thrilling first-half, as Assombalonga levelled up the clash on two occasions after Bolton had edged ahead through Joe Mason and David Wheater respectively.

The hosts endured a 3-0 defeat to Watford in last week's curtain raiser, but Dougie Freedman's side carried no ill effects from that loss into today's clash and took an early lead.

Joe Mason bagged the Trotters' first Championship goal of the campaign, heading Jay Spearing's free kick beyond goalkeeper Karl Darlow after four minutes.

Assombalonga soon equalised with a simplistic close-range finish, but Wheater re-established the lead moments later by poking home at the near post.

The former Peterborough United hitman then converted a penalty after being fouled by Spearing in the area to cap a thrilling first-half display.

Both sides maintained the frenetic tempo after the break and the pendulum very nearly swung in Bolton's direction when Craig Davies's glanced just wide on 53 minutes.

Assombalonga could, and perhaps should, have bagged his first hat-trick in England's second tier soon after by heading a Michail Antonio cross narrowly wide of the post.

The two clubs cancelled each other out for the majority of the half, but Davies again had a good chance to nod Bolton into the lead, but his 83rd-minute header sailed over the bar.

It proved the last opportunity of the game as both teams settled for a share of the spoils.