Ricardo Vaz-Te continued his scoring streak whilst popular midfielder Kevin Nolan also got a couple of goals but it wasn't enough to carry on the Wanderers fine season so far as Leeds showed some great second half resolve.
Continental youngsters Vaz-Te and Bedi Buval both had chances early on in the game but could not make the breakthrough past the highly sought after United goalkeeper Scott Carson.
However the ninth minute proved to be second time lucky for Vaz-Te, he received the ball from Nolan and proceeded with an excellent run which concluded with him curling the ball around Carson for the opening goal.
Makeshift midfielder Anthony Barness then had a long range effort turned away from 25-yards as Bolton looked to double their lead. Unfortunately however Leeds where to get back into the game on 21 minutes as experienced striker Julian Joachim, one of the smallest men on the pitch, managed to head a Martin Woods cross past Andy Oakes in the Bolton goal.
Vaz-Te almost forced an immediate response for Bolton but his effort came back off the crossbar. Wanderers did however bring themselves back into the game when first team "veteran" Nolan made it 2-1 to the Trotters with ten minutes to go in the half.
Bolton lost goalkeeper Oakes at half time with a head injury so teenager Sam Ashton replaced his more experienced custodian. Oakes was said to have suffered double vision but the official site says his omission was precautionary.
Nolan made the scoreline 3-1 to Bolton after sixty minutes when he chipped goalkeeper Carson from just past the half way line. Wanderers seemed in control of the match but a quickfire goal allowed Leeds back into the game as former the Luton Town player Matthew Spring converted a cross by young midfielder Aaron Lennon.
Ashton was then forced into his first real save of the half with the young Wanderer denying Australian midfielder Jamie McMaster an equalising goal but sadly for Bolton on 70 minutes Joachim was to score his second goal of the game to bring the tie level.
Strike duo Les Ferdinand and Vaz-Te both had chances to win it for Wanderers late on but the winning goal actually went the way of the away team as McMaster curled the ball past Ashton with just a couple of minutes to go.
BOLTON RESERVES: Andy Oakes (Sam Ashton), Ricky Shakes, Charlie Comyn-Platt, Danny Livesey, Tal Ben Haim (Jaroslaw Fojut), Anthony Barness, Kevin Nolan, Reda Kribib, Les Ferdinand, Bedi Buval (Bradley Hill)
SUBS NOT USED: Dale Whitehead, Karl Luisi