Josh Sheehan feels Wanderers can draw plenty of heart from their performance against league leaders Sheffield Wednesday.

The Wales international came back into the midfield in place of Aaron Morley and helped the Whites secure a point in their last game before the Papa Johns Trophy final against Plymouth at Wembley.

After a few disappointing performances, Sheehan believes Friday night’s display was a big step in the right direction.

“It felt like that was us,” he said after the final whistle. “Conceding a goal at the start could have rocked us but I think in the end it might maybe it made us better.

“We showed really good character and I think if you speak to the manager and the rest of the players that there has been a switch. We have been at it in training and that showed in the game. I felt like that was Bolton.”

Wanderers rode their luck early in the game, with Wednesday missing a couple of decent chances after going ahead in the 11th minute through Lee Gregory.

Sheehan reckons that their homework paid off in the end, however, with Victor Adeboyejo’s equaliser paving the way for a strong second-half showing.

“We knew what they were going to do, the way they play, and we’d watched them,” he said.

“They did exactly that and maybe right at the start of the game we didn’t deal with it as well as we should have done.

“After 15-20 minutes we showed up at the back and played our game. We dominated. Maybe didn’t create as many clear-cut chances as we’d want to but I think we played really well.”

Wanderers return to league action on Good Friday with a long trip to Exeter City, the first of eight remaining games for them to secure a play-off spot.

Sheehan reckons the point at Hillsborough will lift spirits for the run-in.

He said: “There is no better place to do it, Sheffield Wednesday are top of the league, unbeaten in ages, flying a the moment, and to come and put in a performance like that just shows we can do it anywhere if we can do it here.”

Get unlimited access to all our Wanderers coverage - including our exclusive interviews in the build-up to the Papa Johns Trophy final against Plymouth Argyle - by subscribing to The Bolton News for just £3 for your first three months HERE.