Josh Sheehan described scoring his winning goal as the best feeling possible as he fired Wanderers closer to a play-off finish.
Sheehan’s superb second-half strike – steered into the top corner from almost 25 yards – earned the Whites a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury and lifted them to fifth place in the table with three games to go.
Ian Evatt’s men dominated the 90 minutes at the University of Bolton Stadium but needed something special from Sheehan to secure the points after the Shrews packed men behind the ball and saw goalkeeper Marko Marosi produced an inspired performance.
“At half-time, the gaffer said to me, Azza and Demps to shoot more and thankfully I did because it’s made the difference. It felt like an age to go in the goal, but it was perfect,” said the midfielder, who has now bagged the winner in Wanderers’ last two home victories.
“It’s what us in midfield probably need to bring to our games more because when teams sit back, like they did, we can make the difference and we can get half a yard and get the strike off.
“It’s one of the best feelings when you know at the end of the game it’s the winner and the magnitude of the goal was big for us.
“In front of the fans, especially with the number we get every week, it’s the best feeling in the world.
“Every game between now and the end of the season is going to be massive. It was an important one today and then hopefully whoever scores on Tuesday, that will be just as important.”
Wanderers face Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night in the second of three successive home games which could see Wanderers seal a top-six spot if they can keep winning.
And Sheehan is looking to stay in the groove by overcoming the next hurdle in the collective bid to make the play-offs and keep the possibility of promotion alive.
“This game is done now and the focus is on to Tuesday because we know how important the next two games are,” he added.
“Accrington will make it difficult because they are fighting for their lives.
“We have to take each game as it comes and we know it’s going to be a difficult game.
“We’ve just got to be at it from the first minute to the last because there’s so much to play for.
“We all want to get back to Wembley. That’s the big goal. We all want to get back there, especially after playing there not too long ago. It’s one of the best days we’ve had.
“Pressure, we either rise to it or we don’t, and I feel like we’ve got the capability to.”