WANDERERS completed an incredible comeback to register their first-ever victory against Accrington Stanley in a five-goal classic at the Wham Stadium.

Trailing 2-0 at the start of the second half, an own goal from Harvey Rodgers signalled the start of an incredible turnaround. Kieran Lee equalised before Dapo Afolayan – who had started the day as a wing-back – scored a famous winner.

Wanderers looked off the pace early on, exemplified by a poor clearance from James Trafford which bounced off Bolton old-boy Joe Pritchard and into the net, forcing the keeper into a scrambling save on the line.

Not three minutes later, Stanley were ahead. Slow to react in midfield, MJ Williams and Ricardo Santos watched as Pritchard nipped in again, sliding a pass in for Shaun Whalley to score in front of an open terrace of Wanderers fans, open-mouthed in shock.

Dion Charles came in for heavy stick from his former club’s supporters, as expected, but he nearly produced the perfect riposte a few minutes before half time. Kyle Dempsey’s low shot was pushed out by Toby Savin, and with the goal begging, Mitch Clark’s superb last-ditch challenge prevented Charles from equalising.

Bolton had pressured the Stanley goal for much of the half without really breaking through.

Dempsey tested Savin with a free kick – Charles again pipped to the post by Liam Coyle as he seized on the loose ball. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson also sent a bouncing volley wide of goal and skimmed another header off target with one of several decent crosses from Lloyd Isgrove and Kieran Lee on the right.

Infrequently, the home side countered with menace. Sean McConville nearly mopping up a rebound after Trafford had saved from Harvey Rodgers, then failing to get a telling touch to a long punt over the top from his own keeper.

The jury was still very much out on the Afolayan experiment as the half time whistle sounded. While he had managed a couple of jinking runs towards the penalty box, his tendency to want to play right footed was limiting his space receiving the ball in midfield.

If Bolton had made a poor start to the first half, they doubled down in the second. Doug Thame’s long throw caused panic, and after Ethan Hamilton the ball back towards goal, George Johnston got the telling touch to send it into his own net.

Two nearly became three within 60 seconds as Stanley carved a clear path down the right, and after Trafford had pushed aside a shot from Pritchard, Santos got back to clear Whalley’s header off the line.

Evatt made a triple change in desperation, and his side quickly got themselves back into it as Johnston headed Jack Iredale’s free kick back across goal and Rodgers turned the ball over his own line.

Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flicked. Accrington retreated, and Wanderers took full advantage.

Home keeper Toby Savin looked as if he would be taking the headlines with a string of superb saves to stem the pressure.

Within seconds he had managed to stop a shot from Afolayan with his feet and then divert Lee’s follow up over the crossbar. And from the corner, he then performed more heroics to push Johnston’s header around the post.

His defences finally gave way on 71 minutes as Afolayan’s shot was played back across goal by Elias Kachunga and Lee was there to head into the net from close range.

Just four minutes later the game had been turned completely on its head. This time it was Afolayan at his very best, twisting, turning, driving into the penalty box and then unleashing a fine shot past Savin.

Wanderers fans – pockets of whom had appeared on all four sides of the stadium by that point – erupted, the memory of that 2-0 deficit disappeared completely.

It wasn’t over, and Evatt’s side had to defend for their lives under a barrage of long throws and set pieces in the latter stages.

Referee Robert Madden played more than nine minutes of added time to ramp up the pressure. But Bolton held out for what felt like an important result.