WANDERERS kept up their winning start to pre-season – but they were made to work hard for the privilege at Atherton Colls. 

It took more than 70 minutes to find the right code to break the home defence, and Ian Evatt looked a frustrated man at times as he prowled the touchline in the evening sun. 

But the Whites found a way in the end as first George Thomason and then Nathan Delfouneso gave the scoreline a more reflective view of the possession they had enjoyed. 

Ronan Darcy and Delfouneso then doubled the advantage in injury time – which left the scoreline feeling a little tough on the Northern Premier League men. 

Every season this fixture is more about renewing acquaintances, raising a glass with old friends before the serious business begins - but this time there was an added poignancy. Folk who hadn’t seen their team live in 18 months jostled for position on the edge of the pitch, then to get a selfie with Wanderers chairman Sharon Brittan in front of the main stand. 

Supporters young and old waited for their turn to chat, each one was obliged; one proud dad even brought his three-week-old daughter up for her to give a little cuddle! 

But that is the way of things at Bolton Wanderers these days. Owners are not cooped up in the boardroom, they are out speaking to the people that matter. 

Wanderers had plenty of the ball in the first half but it was typically slow pre-season stuff. 

If anything was going to happen, it was most likely going to come from Dapo Afolayan, who followed up a lively 45 minutes at Longridge with another one against Colls. 

The former West Ham man went closest to opening the scoring, bringing a smart low save from Danny Taberner midway through the half, and had a couple of other efforts which didn’t miss by much. 

There was a welcome return for Alex Baptiste at centre-back after he had missed the weekend win but it is fair to say that Wanderers’ backline was comfortable, save for a couple of late corners. 

Andy Tutte also made his first pre-season appearance, sitting deep in midfield alongside MJ Williams, and they found themselves occupied by a home midfield who worked hard out of possession. 

Xavier Amaechi was the only player to stay on the pitch after half time, and we did see a little more of the Hamburg loanee on the ball than we had a few days earlier. 

It was clear from Evatt’s animated half-time team talk that he wasn’t exactly impressed with what he had seen. And while the tempo of the game picked up after the break, it seemed for a long time that Bolton would fail to make their possession count again. 

There was no Eoin Doyle in the second half line up, nor Antoni Sarcevic, who was still nursing a slight hamstring strain.  

Colls keeper Taberner stubbornly continued to keep Wanderers at bay – making a decent save at his near post to deny Kieran Lee on the hour. 

The Gethin Jones-Lloyd Isgrove partnership on the right proved a fruitful one but the home side threw bodies in the way time and time again to preserve the clean sheet. 

It took until the 72nd minute for to puncture their resolve. Isgrove and Jones again involved on the right, the ball popping out to Thomason on the edge of the box to drill into the bottom corner. 

Colls’ lock was unpicked again a couple of minutes later as Delfouneso crashed a header against the bar. The back four barely had time to regain their concentration before Liam Gordon skipped down the left to deliver a perfect cross that this time, Delfouneso happily passed into the back of the net. 

Darcy could have made it three just before the end, Taberner again on form as he saved low down to his left. 

But just as he did at Longridge, the midfielder refused to slow down in injury time, burying a smart finish into the bottom corner in the 93rd minute. 

And just as Jimmy Cricket once said… There’s more. 

Fans were inching towards the gates to grab a post-match pint when Delfouneso bundled the fourth over the line barely 60 seconds later. 

A harsh scoreline on Colls, perhaps, but folk marched out happier into the streets of Atherton, so the pubs were grateful at least! 

First half: Dixon, Brockbank, Aimson, Baptiste, John, Williams, Sheehan, Tutte, Amaechi, Afolayan, Bakayoko. 

Second half: Hutchinson, Jones, Santos, Johnston, Gordon, Thomason, Lee, Amaechi (Comley 60), Isgrove, Delfouneso, Darcy 

Attendance: 1,000