Stephane Sessegnon produced a crisp finish eight minutes from time before Nicklas Bendtner sealed the points in stoppage time at the Reebok Stadium.

Bolton had more of the game but it was the Black Cats who went ahead with less than 10 minutes to go after the hosts failed to clear the ball in the area.

Chris Eagles lost his footing, allowing Sessegnon to turn smartly and slot the ball home.

Sessegnon then turned provider, running at the Trotters' defence and then slotting a ball through for an unmarked Bendtner who calmly converted.

Yohan Cabaye's first goal for Newcastle gave the fourth-placed side a 1-0 win over Wigan at St James' Park.

Hugo Rodallega could have put the Latics ahead in the first half but failed to take advantage when put clear.

Alan Pardew's men almost went ahead after 50 minutes when Demba Ba met Ryan Taylor's left-wing cross with a flashing header which Ali Al Habsi gathered well.

Newcastle opened the scoring with 10 minutes to go when Cabaye produced a neat finish, leaving Al Habsi with no chance.

A contentious midlands derby between Aston Villa and West Brom ended 2-1 to the Baggies.

Darren Bent missed a golden chance to put Villa ahead early on when he found himself unmarked eight yards from goal and shot over.

However, he kept his nerve later on to convert the spot-kick awarded when Ben Foster felled Gabriel Agbonlahor midway through the half after he pounced on indecision between the keeper and Steven Reid.

Bent stepped up and put the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Albion squandered a golden opportunity to level in the 36th minute when they were gifted a penalty.

It appeared to have been awarded after a clash between Chris Herd and Jonas Olsson which saw the linesman flag, but it seemed very harsh.

Brunt blazed the ball well wide from the spot, but made amends by providing the corner from which Olsson headed home a minute before the break.

The Baggies then went ahead 12 minutes after half-time when Paul Scharner showed great agility to hook home a left-footed shot from Brunt's outswinging corner.

In the early game, Wolves ended their five-match losing run as late goals from Kevin Doyle and Jamie O'Hara saw them salvage a 2-2 draw against Swansea at Molineux and alleviate some of the pressure on manager Mick McCarthy.

The Welsh side were in complete control at half-time courtesy of goals from Danny Graham and Joe Allen and looked set to record a first away win.

McCarthy's side were booed from the field at the interval and there was considerable disapproval from the home fans when he removed wingers Adam Hammill and Matt Jarvis for Nenad Milijas and Adlene Guedioura.

But Doyle tapped in after Michel Vorm could not hold a Sam Vokes effort, before O'Hara calmly slotted the leveller after intelligent play on the left by Doyle to earn a point.

Liverpool lost ground on the top four as their leaky defence and a failure to capitalise on numerous opportunities cost them victory as they played out a 1-1 draw in the late kick-off against Norwich at Anfield.

Kenny Dalglish's side hit the woodwork three times among several other chances but had only Craig Bellamy's late first-half goal against his former club to show for their efforts.

And a side which has kept only two clean sheets all season should have known what was coming as a result

They were punished on the hour when Grant Holt headed home just three minutes after coming off the bench to spoil what would have been a perfect story for Bellamy on his first Liverpool start since May 2007.