Wanderers came out on top against National League North neighbours Chorley in their second pre-season friendly with goals from Dion Charles, Jón Daði Böðvarsson, and Elias Kachunga securing the win at Victory Park.
Just under two minutes into the game, Charles notched his second goal in as many matches to continue his razor-sharp start to pre-season with an assured finish into the bottom corner.
The home side almost found an equaliser shortly afterwards in bizarre fashion when Mike Calveley charged down James Trafford’s attempted clearance, with the ball bouncing just wide of the post – much to the relief of the Manchester City loanee stopper.
Charles was hunting for his next opportunity and after Chorley failed to clear their lines, the Wanderers frontman almost pounced onto the loose ball before Matt Urwin’s intervention.
Declan John forced Urwin into a smart save just after the half-hour mark after Böðvarsson teed him up, but the full-back’s angled drive from just inside the box was pushed over the bar by the Chorley goalkeeper.
Adam Senior, who spent time on loan at Victory Park last season, had a goal chalked off for an offside decision before Böðvarsson added Wanderers’ second goal. Following some good work down the right-hand side by Conor Bradley, the ball was pulled back to Aaron Morley who delivered a cross into the box that was powered into the back of the net by the head of the Icelandic forward.
Trafford had to be at his best just before the break to tip Ollie Shenton’s fierce strike over the bar in what was to be his last action of the half before a completely new eleven took to the field for the start of the second half.
In a largely uneventful second half, Wanderers scored a third goal to put the contest beyond any doubt and it was Elias Kachunga who got his name on the scoresheet for the second time this week.
Kieran Sadlier delivered a corner into the box and the forward got in front of his man to plant a header into the top corner past a helpless Urwin in the Chorley goal.
Kyle Dempsey went agonisingly close to adding a fourth Wanderers goal, but his shot from 20 yards out whistled just wide of the far post with Urwin at full stretch.
In the game's dying embers, Chorley pulled a goal back through former Wanderers man Connor Hall. Turning away from Ricardo Almeida Santos inside the box, he kept his composure under pressure from the Whites’ skipper to prod the ball past Joel Dixon and add a slight gloss to the scoreline.
Wanderers First Half XI: Trafford, Jones, Senior, Johnston (Toure 43), Bradley, John, Morley, Thomason, Afolayan, Böðvarsson, Charles.
Wanderers Second Half XI: Dixon, Aimson, Almeida Santos, Iredale, Sadlier, Conway, Dempsey, Williams, Lee, Kachunga, Bakayoko.
Unused Subs: Hutchinson, Stanley, Tweedley, Pettifer.
Bolton goals: Charles (2), Böðvarsson (42), Kachunga (78)
Chorley goal: Hall (89)
Attendance: 3,087