Wanderers reserves registered a victory in their opening Central League fixture of the campaign against Accrington Stanley at Hindley Juniors on Tuesday afternoon.
Goals in the first half from Harry Brockbank and Max Wilcox secured the win for Sam Hird's side who stood up against periods of Stanley pressure in the second half to come away with three points.
Wanderers started brightly and made progress down the right-hand side through Brockbank who saw a deflected cross bounce into the path of Arran Pettifer who forced a save from Liam Isherwood.
Dan Martin then went close for the hosts, but his effort from the edge of the box went a yard or so wide of Ellis Litherland's left-hand post.
Just after the ten-minute mark, Wanderers took the lead through Brockbank. George Thomason threaded a superb pass through the Stanley defence for the full-back to latch onto, and he slotted the ball confidently past Isherwood.
Both teams were willing to go on the attack at pretty much every opportunity, and Archie Proctor headed wide of the mark after latching onto Matty Carson's dangerous delivery into the box.
After going close through Proctor, Stanley found the equaliser with Luke Stowe running through on goal to lash a shot past Litherland in the Bolton goal.
The home side were only level for five minutes before Sam Hird's men found themselves back in front. George Thomason may claim the goal himself after providing the assist for Brockbannk's opener, with his in-swinging delivery finding its way past Isherwood, with Wilcox perhaps getting a touch on the ball.
Stowe engineered another opportunity for himself to try and get on the scoresheet again, but this time his shot was held onto by Litherland.
Max Conway put in an energetic display in a left wing-back role, and after leaving a Stanley player behind he found space for an angled drive inside the box which was blocked by a red shirt.
Before the break, Thomason almost found the back of the net in spectacular style but his thunderous effort from distance was tipped onto the bar excellently by Isherwood to keep his team within reach of Wanderers going into the interval.
The second half never conjured up a plethora of goal-scoring opportunities, but after Oliver Patrick fired a shot over the bar, Conway again went on the attack but after latching onto substitute Matthew Tweedley's incisive through pass, he saw a shot kept out low down by Isherwood.
Accrington were applying some pressure in the final quarter of the game, with Wanderers standing their ground to keep them at bay, and after a penalty appeal was turned down, Tom Scully fired a half-volley over the bar from the edge of the box.
Henry Perritt went close with a headed effort which landed on the roof of the net after he had peeled away inside the box to latch onto Carson's delivery into the box.
Scully tried his luck from distance again deep into added time, but his effort from 20 yards out went narrowly over the bar - not quite troubling second-year scholar Litherland in the Bolton goal.
Accrington Stanley: Liam Isherwood, Oliver Patrick, Matty Carson, Archie Proctor, Yeboah Amankwah (Dylan Moonan 60), Harry Perritt, Dan Martin, Seamus Conneely (Liam Coyle 46), Lewis Mansell (Kevin Spinelli 49), Luke Stowe, Tom Scully.
Unused Subs: Max Clayton (GK), Ben Pleavin.
Goal: Luke Stowe (18)
Bolton Wanderers: Ellis Litherland, Ryan Colvin, Will Aimson (Lamine Toure 87), Adam Senior, Harry Brockbank (Matthew Tweedley 46), Max Conway, Andrew Tutte, Brandon Comley, George Thomason (Wesley Frimpong 87), Arran Pettifer, Max Wilcox (Sonny Sharples-Ahmed 64).
Unused Sub: Matt Gilks.
Goals: Harry Brockbank (11), Max Wilcox (23)