Wanderers left it late to secure a 2-1 win against Fleetwood after a spirited second-half comeback at Highbury.

Carlos Mendes Gomes put the hosts in front with a thumping strike from outside the box after 16 minutes.

But Conor Bradley and Dapo Afolayan struck during the final stages to send the away end into raptures and ensure that the Whites would return home with all three points.

Second-half fightback

Wanderers were much better after the break and ultimately deserved to leave Highbury with all three points.

The Whites have left it late on many occasions under Evatt and have had scored late winners in their last three League One victories.

While there is no denying they need to start scoring first if they are to maximise their chances of winning games, the spirit in the squad is clear to see and it bodes well for the rest of the season.

The Bolton squad will now be aiming to build on their momentum and heading into a decent run of fixtures on paper.

Beck makes first league start

Evatt opted to hand Liverpool loanee Owen Beck his first league start against the Cod Army, and he was in the thick of the action throughout.

The Welsh youth international missed a big chance in the early stages after Aaron Morley’s shot had been parried by former Bolton goalkeeper Jay Lynch.

He also had a chance to get on the scoresheet in the second half but was again denied by Lynch after getting on the end of Gethin Jones’ low cross.

But it is reassuring that the youngster is getting in the right positions to score and he showed glimpses of what he is capable of in the final third.

Subs make an impact

Evatt spoke at the start of the season about the importance of utilising his substitutes effectively, with such a big squad at his disposal.

This was again the case, with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Kieran Sadlier and Josh Sheehan helping change the course of the game.

Sadlier set up Bradley’s goal with a pinpoint low cross, while Sheehan picked out Afolayan in the box for the winner.

All three players staked their claim for a place in the starting line-up, and Evatt’s team selections aren’t about to get any easier.

Decision controversy

Wanderers fans won’t care too much now, but Fleetwood were perhaps a tad fortunate to finish the game with 11 men.

Shaun Rooney appeared to push Beck in the face directly in front of the dugouts, sparking a melee involving virtually every player on the pitch.

Rooney was eventually shown a yellow card once things had calmed down, and pictures of the incident seem to suggest he was a lucky boy.