JOSH Sheehan scored a spectacular winner for Wanderers as they climbed back into fifth spot with a narrow win against Shrewsbury Town.

The Wales international scored his second of the season to puncture the visitors’ stubborn resolve on 63 minutes after Bolton had twice hit the woodwork and had a goal disallowed.

Results elsewhere mean Ian Evatt’s side have bumped themselves above Derby County and Peterborough United – the latter’s defeat at Ipswich greeted with a cheer as fans left the UniBol.

Wanderers had made just one change from the side that started the 1-1 draw a Burton in midweek, bringing Josh Sheehan into midfield for George Thomason. Kieran Lee also returned to the bench after injury.

The first half was a forgettable affair, with neither side mustering a shot on target.

Shrewsbury sat predictably deep, daring Bolton to try and break them down. Aside from a couple of occasions where Kyle Dempsey burst through to drag a shot wide of Marko Marosi’s post, there was little for the home fans to get excited about.

Wing-backs Conor Bradley and Randell Williams tried to keep some width in Wanderers’ play but once the build-up reached the penalty box play slowed to a crawl. Shrewsbury – who had been able to name just five players on the bench because of injuries and suspensions – coped relatively comfortably, given they saw less than 30 per cent of the ball.

Things had to improve after the break and the Whites did speed up. Josh Sheehan dragged a shot across goal and agonisingly out of Dion Charles’s reach, then had another curling effort blocked on the edge of the box after a cut-back from Randell Williams.

Charles then had an agonising two minutes in which he was denied by Markosi after going clear through on goal, then had a header disallowed for a push on Matt Pennington.

Wanderers kept pushing, and on the hour Bradley’s deflected shot looped on to the crossbar. From the corner, Johnston connected well with his header but Markosi touched the ball on to his left-hand post.

Just when it looked like the Whites’ luck was completely out, Sheehan produced a moment of real class.

Fans had been begging for someone to take a gamble from distance from minute one and as the ball dropped nicely for the Welshman 20 yards out, he connected with a nonchalant left foot to finally get his side on the board.

Shrewsbury then had to come out of their defensive block. A few long throws gave Bolton something to think about, and it all became a case of whether they could land the killer blow.

Dempsey looped a header on to the bar and then played a perfect ball through to Adeboyejo, who once again found Marosi in brilliant form, making a brave save at his feet.

Charles’s luck didn’t get much better – 13 minutes from the end he hit a marvellous angled shot that bounced off the crossbar and out to safety.

With the score still 1-0, the undercurrent of nervousness continued to the end. The visitors’ threat existed only at set pieces and long throws and, once again, Evatt’s reshuffled back three did what was asked of them to preserve a 21st clean sheet of the campaign.

In injury time sub Kieran Lee broke free before being bundled down from behind – Elias Kachunga getting to the ball before advancing keeper Marosi but failing to stab it past him.