Steven Schumacher was delighted to see his players and the Wanderers’ fans end some difficult derby days as they finally overcame Wigan to revive their play-off push, writes Pete Oliver.
An injury-time goal from defender Chris Forino gave Wanderers a first win over their local rivals for a decade and a first victory at the home of the Latics since 2011.
The result – which propelled Schumacher’s men back into the top six with seven games to go – sparked joyous scenes at the final whistle and again afterwards when the players came back out for an encore and to celebrate with nearly 4,500 travelling fans on a special night at the Brick Community Stadium.
“It's been a long time coming to beat these,” said Schumacher after managing it at his first attempt at Bolton boss. “There have been some painful days over the last few years against them. To win it in the last minute, in a real scrappy game, the goal just about summed it up.
“But doesn't really matter. All that matters is that we come out of it with the right result that we wanted and to get three points and send our incredible fans home like that, happy. I'm just delighted.
“It did mean a lot and I did have a sense of it. I think the magnitude of it hit me as I walked out of the tunnel at the start of the game. When I saw the atmosphere, I'm thinking, ‘oh my God, this is a proper derby game’.
“When I went into the changing room that was the first thing I said to the players, because they're all coming in on a high. I said, ‘look, I've sensed that this means a lot to you, and it's my first experience of it. It's not their first experience of it, and, as I say, they've had some difficult days against these as well.
“So to win it in that way that we did was fantastic and they should enjoy it tonight, because it's not been easy. But, again, my last message was to get back to work on Thursday, get our feet on the ground and get ready to go again.”
Wanderers ended a three-game losing run thanks to a gutsy performance which brought them a first clean sheet in six games and one magical moment courtesy of Forino’s first goal for the club to secure a famous 1-0 win.
His close-range finish following a 92nd-minute corner was perfectly timed on the night and in the context of the play-off race as Schumacher’s side now faces back-to-back home games against Bristol Rovers and Rotherham with the chance to cement their place in the top six.
“Derby games are never pretty, and if you win them, no-one cares,” added the Whites’ head coach after his team avenged December’s home loss with a first goal in five attempts against the Latics, who remain 18th in the League One table – five points above the drop zone.
“If you lose them, it's the worst feeling in the world. So if we'd have taken a point from this game tonight it would have been okay. To take three points at this stage of the season, that gets us back into the play-off mix as well, was great - especially after the last three results.
“I think we've played better in the last three games that we've lost. But, today, as I say, performance doesn't really matter. No-one cares. We win the game and we go home.
“There were three points at stake and we needed to get back on track and we said if we want to get promoted we have to come and win games like this, regardless of it being a derby, and we have to beat teams like Wigan, who are in the position that they are.
“We've got to say it wasn’t a vintage performance and it wasn't an easy win, which we knew it wouldn't be. But it's a win nonetheless, three points that we needed and it gets us back into the top six.
“We've got seven big games to go, starting on Saturday against Bristol Rovers who we lost to only a couple of weeks ago, so we have to build on this and take confidence, although I don't sense the players are playing with a lack of confidence.
“They've been playing well, they just haven't been clinical enough and tonight we've managed to stick one of our big chances away so I'm delighted for it. Let's move on and let’s try and make sure that we get the business done on Saturday as well.”
Watch the full post-match interview with the head coach on Wanderers TV