Wanderers booked their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup following a thrilling encounter with Sheffield Wednesday at Macron Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Whites drew first blood in the 42nd minute, with Dorian Dervite volleying home from a free-kick to the delight of those of a Bolton persuasion inside BL6, before their advantage was doubled in the 56th minute from the penalty spot through Adam Armstrong.
It was three just nine minutes later too, with Jem Karacan’s looping header eluding the Owls’ goalkeeper, although the Owls did pull one back with 14 minutes to go through Jordan Rhodes.
They then proceeded to ensure a nervous finale with Rhodes' second of the game seven minutes from time, but it was to prove just a consolation come full time.
TEAM NEWS
Wanderers made seven changes from the side who started against Derby County at the weekend, with Ben Alnwick coming in between the sticks while Jem Karacan took the armband for Phil Parkinson’s men.
FIRST HALF
With the sun setting at Macron Stadium proceedings got underway in the evening’s Carabao Cup second round tie.
And it was the visitors who enjoyed the first sight of goal, with Adam Reach’s thunderbolt from 20 yards out taking the slightest of deflections off a Bolton body to ensure that it flew narrowly over Alnwick’s crossbar.
Wanderers responding in turn however, with some excellent control by Mark Little on the right hand corner of Wednesday’s box seeing the full-back find Aaron Wilbraham whose glancing header was just wide of the goalmouth.
The early opportunities were just what the game needed to spark it into life, with the Owls and the Whites both looking dangerous on the break.
Wilbraham meanwhile saw the offside flag raised when he found himself two yards out and with just the keeper to beat, much to his dismay.
As the game reached its half hour mark, although neither goalkeeper had been really tested, it was definitely Bolton who were in the ascendancy with Antonee Robinson causing numerous problems for the visitors down the left flank.
Jordan Rhodes did enjoy a half-chance for Wednesday though shortly after, with his glancing header from a corner kick rippling the side netting.
Fernando Forestieri also came close for Carlos Carvalhal’s side, with his diving header from 12 yards falling just off target with Alnwick grounded.
Derik, fresh from scoring his first goal for the club in the last round against Crewe, looked set to double his tally for the season with seven minutes of the first half remaining with a close range header from a corner, but the Spaniard had to put his celebrations on ice as the ball floated agonisingly wide.
With just three minutes to go until half time however, the deadlock was broken and done so in style as following claims for handball in the Wednesday box, Dervite remained alert to a loose ball and thundered home on the volley with Joe Wildsmith given no chance whatsoever.
Wednesday were almost level immediately though, with a goalmouth scramble somehow seeing the ball kept hooked off the line twice by goalscorer Dervite when it appeared that an equaliser was imminent.
Forestieri did try his luck for the Owls with a 35-yard free-kick just before the break, but his effort cleared the crossbar to ensure that Bolton’s lead was maintained come half time.
SECOND HALF
With no changes for either side at the break, the game got back underway under the floodlights at Macron Stadium.
And Wanderers certainly weren’t for resting on their laurels, with Dervite coming close to doubling his own tally for the evening while some excellent work by Adam Armstrong with the forward powering downfield deserved more.
Now attacking towards their travelling fans meanwhile, the visitors were showing more gusto than they had inside the opening 45, with their supporters’ vocal backing almost dragging them towards the Bolton goalmouth.
On the counter though, Wanderers were handed a glorious opportunity to double their lead from the penalty spot when Buckley was tripped by goalkeeper Wildsmith, with Armstrong coolly slotting home the resulting effort from 12 yards.
Buoyed by their second, Bolton were oozing confidence and following a period of pressure from the visitors as they looked for a route back into the match, they made it three courtesy of a beautifully taken looping header by Karacan from a Robinson cross with 25 minutes remaining.
It was dreamland for the Whites, but Wednesday did manage to pull a goal back with 14 minutes to go until full time when Rhodes ghosted his way into the six yard box and calmly slotted home beneath Alnwick.
It was almost a second too moments later as substitute Atdhe Nuhiu somehow failed to turn a loose ball home at the far post.
Wanderers had looked calm and comfortable, but the visitors were visibly boosted and saw a Marco Matias effort cleared off the line by Stephen Darby with ten minutes to go.
And Rhodes ensured that it was a nervy finale for the Whites when nodding home with seven minutes to go.
Bolton were penned back inside their own penalty area, with Wednesday desperate to level and force an additional 30 minutes of play.
And with six minutes of additional time indicated, it was absolute pandemonium at Macron Stadium and all hands to the pump for Wanderers to defend their slender lead.
Try as they might however, Wednesday couldn't find a third goal and the Whites were the ones in the third round draw come full time.
FULL TIME