Wanderers picked up a priceless victory over promotion-chasing Bristol City in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday evening.
The deadlock was broken with 19 minutes of the clash remaining as Sammy Ameobi picked up the ball in his own half and powered downfield before beating Luke Steele to send the Bolton faithful into raptures.
And come full time, his effort was enough to ensure that the three points remained with the Whites.
TEAM NEWS
There was a Bolton debut for Tyler Walker following his deadline day move to the club, while Mark Beevers was back in the mix after missing the Ipswich Town clash on January 20 through illness.
FIRST HALF
Following a period of pressure from the visitors that came to nothing much inside the opening stages, Wanderers sprung into life with former Bristol City man Mark Little causing trouble down the right flank, with his trickery into the box and consequent cross being cleared at the death.
Goalmouth chances were few and far between inside the first ten minutes, but Sammy Ameobi did come close shortly after as he twisted and turned and shrugged off the challenge of two City shirts before unleashing a drive which flew inches wide of Luke Steele’s far post.
It was an opportunity which had the Whites faithful out of their seats and hungry for more.
The Robins weren’t for sitting back though, and it was certainly a full-blooded affair with tackles flying in left, right and centre.
As the game reached its quarter-mark however, neither goalkeeper had been really tested, although Wanderers were the ones making the loudest noises in terms of attacking moves.
A goalmouth scramble ensued on the 26th minute mark too, with Steele fumbling the ball on the edge of the six yard box while Henry saw his eventual strike deflect off a white shirt and out of play.
The visitors then responded in kind though, as Bobby Reid’s cross narrowly eluded the advancing Famara Diedhiou who was well placed in the six yard box.
They also enjoyed a period of pressure in and around Bolton’s 18-yard box with eight minutes of the first half remaining, with a succession of blocked shots culminating in Reid putting his own effort a foot wide of the upright.
As the clock ran down to half-time, it was Bolton looking the more likely with the majority of play happening in City’s half, but come the break, the scores were goalless.
SECOND HALF
With no changes for either side at the break, proceedings got back underway under the floodlights.
And Wanderers almost broke the deadlock inside two minutes, with Josh Vela’s cross finding Mark Beevers who saw his effort blocked.
Coming so close buoyed the Whites, but City almost snatched the lead against the run of play through Diedhiou, only for Alnwick to somehow keep out his effort before David Wheater put in a superb sliding tackle on Korey Smith to clear Bolton’s lines.
The 57th minute of the clash however saw Zach Clough, fresh from his deadline day loan move back to Wanderers, enter the field in place of Walker, with the forward receiving a standing ovation from three sides of Macron Stadium on his return.
And he tried his luck just five minutes after coming into the fray with a free-kick from distance, but Steele was equal to his effort which unfortunately lacked bite.
He was certainly proving a handful for the City backline however, with a mazy run by him from just inside the visitors’ half soon after eventually being ended just outside of the penalty area.
Wanderers were knocking, and they were eventually rewarded with 19 minutes remaining as Ameobi picked up the ball in his own half of the pitch, shrugged off the challenge of his marker, powered downfield and unleashed an effort into the bottom corner of the Bristol net to the sheer delight of the Bolton faithful.
Stunned, the Robins set about trying to force a way back into the clash but were coming up against a stubborn Bolton backline.
Zach Clough meanwhile had a glorious opportunity to put the result to bed with five minutes left after finding himself unmarked just inside the box, but his effort sailed over the crossbar to the disbelief of the Wanderers fans.
The clock was ticking down to full time, and the home supporters could almost taste victory.
With four minutes of additional time indicated, it was all hands to the pump for Bolton to see the game out.
And come full time, their efforts were enough to secure three priceless points.
FULL TIME