No side has conceded fewer goals in League One than Wanderers this season, and George Johnston insists it has been a team effort.

Opposition sides have scored past Ian Evatt’s men only seven times in total – two fewer than Derby County and Fleetwood Town.

Johnston became a key player for the Whites during the second half of last season and has picked up where he left off.

Part of a resilient trio with Ricardo Santos and Gethin Jones, the 24-year-old has arguably been one of Wanderers’ most consistent performers since the start of the campaign.

“I think everyone knows their role defensively within the team now, from the strikers to the defence,” he told The Bolton News.

“We don’t give away many opportunities and when we do, we are putting our bodies on the line. I think that is massive for us going forwards.

“If a player beats one of our players, there is another lad coming across straight away to bail him out.

“It is just having each other’s backs and giving everything for the clean sheet.”

While the Whites were well below their usual standards against Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night, they still managed to limit the Robins to few clear opportunities.

Evatt’s men have generally been a tougher nut to crack this season, and Johnston has been encouraged by their stubbornness at times.

But ahead of another potentially tricky away fixture against Forest Green, he admits they need to show more quality in the final third.

The defender added: “I don’t think they had many clear-cut chances – maybe the header from a corner where Traff [James Trafford] saves it and the one off the line.

“But apart from that, we are not giving teams many chances. I feel like if they didn’t score it was going to be 0-0 because we just weren’t going to be good enough with the ball.

“Moving forward it is definitely something we need to address.”

The former Liverpool youngster has blocked more shots than any other player in the third tier so far this season, averaging more than one every game.

He believes being able to anticipate the danger is key and is determined to give Trafford in the Bolton goal as much protection as he can.

“It is kind of anticipating the angle where they are at and the angle that they have to shoot, and then blocking that angle,” Johnston explained.

“Usually most of the time it is the right angle to block off the shot. Giving Traff as much help as possible is just what we focus on – not having him do too much is our aim.

“If he is having to pull off worldie after worldie then we are not good enough in front of him.

“I think the main thing is just being really stubborn with the opposition, not giving anything away, keeping it tight.

“And obviously, when we have the ball that is where we need to punish them. It has been quite good so far.”