AFTER giving his side lift off, Neil Danns was more than happy to see Mark Davies get star billing in Wanderers’ stellar win against Brentford.

It would have been a brave man to bet you’d see a better goal than the one scored by Danns to open the scoring just after the hour mark – but by his own admission, his effort was trumped just 15 minutes later when Davies dazzled the Bees defence to double the lead.

Danns was magnanimous enough to salute a fine piece of skill that provided a little glimpse of the mercurial midfielder at his very best.

That Wanderers fans have not seen that kind of class on a regular basis due to Davies’s lengthy list of injuries in his five-and-a-half years with the club.

But Danns is keeping his fingers crossed that the Black Country boy can stay fit for the foreseeable future and help put Wanderers’ season in an upward trajectory after a morale-boosting 3-1 win.

"The lad has got so much ability and for me it’s no surprise him doing that sort of thing,” Danns told The Bolton News. “It’s reminiscent of a Paul Gascoigne.

“Sparky has got that kind of thing in his locker and we’re all just hoping he stays fit because he’s a major player.

“Some people are unlucky. Sometimes it’s your body, genetics, and it can’t be helped.

“That’s why when he does get injured I feel sorry for him because I know how well he wants to do.

“I know the talent he’s got and if he can stay fit he’s more than just a valuable player to us.”

Danns was rightly proud of his own strike, which lifted the lid off the Macron Stadium on what had been a tense afternoon to date, “As soon as I’d hit it I knew it had half a chance,” he said. “To see it go in the back of the net was a massive relief.

“You could feel the energy in the place today, it was brilliant, and that rubbed off on us.

“It was frustrating not getting the goal earlier but when it did come you could feel the euphoria, it lifted everyone.”

Danns has started all three of Neil Lennon’s games in charge, moving in this instance from a deeper lying midfield role in a 4-2-3-1 system to one on the right side of a diamond 4-4-2.

And while high workloads are being placed on the players, the 31-year-old believes the improvement since the Northern Irishman walked through the doors is there for all to see.

“Count the amount of shots we’ve had in the last three games,” he said.

“It’s great to be in a team that is creating so many chances and keeping the ball so much.

“We’re on a high and we’ve got the gaffer to thank. He’s demanded intensity in training, in everything you do.

“If the gaffer says you put a ball on his head you literally have to make sure it touches a certain part of his head or he’s on you.

“They are the demands that get teams promoted. It’s perfection.

“He’s not shy. If anyone takes their foot off the gas he’s there.

“We’re responding and it’s positive. Where he wants to be, we all want to be.”

Wanderers have 32 games to play this season but despite Saturday’s win, they remain in the bottom three, two points away from safety.

Danns refuses to get carried away – but reasoned that there is still plenty of time for anything to happen.

“I don’t want to start saying we can win the league,” he said.

“If we win three or four on the bounce then we find ourselves six, maybe eight points off the play-offs.

“There are 30-odd games to go this season, so why not?"

“That’s the way I’m looking at it.”