WANDERERS returned to winning ways in emphatic style at Gillingham to keep up their hopes of a play-off spot.

Aaron Morley opened the scoring with a brilliant first goal for the club before Daniel Phillips’s second-half red card was punished in ruthless fashion with goals for Declan John and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.

Bolton remain 11th in the table but make up a point on the top six, who are now seven points away.

And they full deserved the margin of victory at Priestfield, having dealt with all the physical football their hosts could throw at them.

We knew full well it would be a game of contrasting football ideals, as so it proved. Wanderers looked to shift the ball from wing to wing, to give and go, while the Gills – who had their first chance to escape the bottom four since November – depended on an entirely more agricultural approach.

For a short while, it was difficult to see which side were actually on to something.

Ryan Jackson’s missile-like long throws caused perpetual concern, and what the Gills lacked in finesse, they made up for with physique and heart, ensuring that Ricardo Santos and Co could never breathe easily.

Home skipper Stuart O’Keefe had an early shot deflected over the bar, Ben Thompson attempted an audacious overhead kick and Daniel Phillips had James Trafford worried with a shot from distance.

Once Bolton got warmed up, however, they were clearly in a different class.

Dion Charles wasted two superb chances, his fine first touch taking him past his marker, but his second deserting him at the crucial moment, much to the delight of the home fans in the Rainham Stand.

Afolayan got in on the act, going close on a couple of occasions, and Declan John also had a cross-shot wafted over by Aaron Chapman, as the Whites got closer to the opening goal.

By the time they finally took the lead, Bolton had enjoyed 77 per cent of possession.

The goal was well-worked, Williams drifting over to the right to combine with Fossey, whose cut-back to Morley was despatched with a nonchalant right-foot into the top corner.

Confidence picked up from there. Morley and Fossey went close to a second before the half time break but any arrogance at that stage would have been checked by the knowledge that one lapse of concentration against a set piece or long throw could ruin all their hard work.

The start of the second half was delayed while some medical treatment was administered to a person in front of the Bolton supporters.

Wanderers continued to dominate and home keeper Chapman made a double save to deny Fossey, then Afolayan, to keep his side in touch.

Afolayan’s trickery had caused issues for Gillingham all afternoon, and made him the pantomime villain around three sides of Priestfield. Referee Craig Hicks finally cracked down on some of the rough treatment the winger had been subjected to by showing Phillips a yellow card for a hack on halfway.

Just three minutes later the same player was walking down the tunnel, having dragged down Bodvarsson in virtually the same spot to stop a counter-attack.

That proved to be a green light for Bolton to score their second. A sloppy pass on half way allowed Williams to set his side on their way four-on-three, and after Bodvarsson’s powerful effort had been pushed away by Chapman, John was there to drive in his fourth of the season.

From there, it was routine for Wanderers, who knocked the ball around with ease in the closing stages.

Amadou Bakayoko went close soon after coming on as a sub but Bodvarsson got the goal he deserved before the end, swapping passes with Fossey and then poking a shot past Chapman from close range.