Bolton left it late to clinch their place in the third round of the Carling Cup as two goals in the last ten minutes enabled Sam Allardyce's side to knock out their Coca-Cola League Two hosts.
Although Bolton shaded it, Yeovil had their chances in the second half and felt they should have been given a penalty when Phil Jevons appeared to have his shirt pulled.
Hero of the goalless first half was Yeovil keeper Chris Weale. In the 26th minute he made a marvellous save when veteran striker Les Ferdinand was clean through and another good stop 12 minutes later kept out Blessing Kaku.
The best opportunity of the first half, however, came right on the whistle. El Hadji Diouf was clean through but somehow contrived to fire wide across the goal when it seemed easier to score.
Yeovil's bright start to the second half might easily have brought some reward. Their man of the match was Lee Johnson in midfield and in the 59th minute he was only centimetres off target with a piledriver from just outside the box.
Yeovil's best chance came in the 70th minute. Substitute Kevin Gall shrugged off his marker on the right and provided a cross which Latvian striker Andrejs Stolcers volleyed wide.
That coincided with the introduction off Henrik Pedersen from the Bolton substitute bench and he made an instant impact heading against the underside of the bar when a corner by Diouf was flicked on by Fernando Hierro.
In the 80th minute another Diouf corner brought the opening goal as Julio Cesar came up from the back to bury a powerful header.
Three minutes from time Pedersen fired low, past Weale's left hand, from the left of the box to clinch a victory that Bolton just about deserved.