There was plenty to discuss after Wanderers’ goalless draw against Everton, but here are the main talking points.

Baxter shines

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Nathan Baxter made a positive impression on his first home appearance since joining the Whites.

Baxter made a couple of big stops to deny Alex Iwobi and Lewis Dobbin from one-on-one situations during the opening 45 minutes.

The 24-year-old looked comfortable with the ball at his feet, which will help him adjust to Wanderers’ style of play.

Joel Coleman has also got minutes under his belt in pre-season and will be hoping to provide competition for Baxter over the coming season.

James Trafford leaves big shoes to fill at Wanderers, but the early signs are promising from Ian Evatt’s new-look goalkeeping department.

Santos on form

Ricardo Santos was excellent at the heart of defence against the Toffees, using his physical attributes to largely nullify the threat of Dobbin.

It is no secret how highly Evatt rates the towering centre-back, who has gone from strength to strength over the past few seasons.

The Bolton skipper missed a couple of pre-season games through illness but is looking as sharp as ever ahead of the new campaign.

His performance caught the eye of plenty of Everton fans on social media and one Bolton supporter even joked, ‘Take Santos off, we are putting him in the shop window here!’

Williams looking sharp

Randell Williams showed glimpses of what he is capable of during the second half of last season but was playing catch-up on the rest of the squad due to his lack of playing time at Hull City.

The wing-back is now reaping the rewards of a full pre-season at Wanderers and looked lively against the Toffees, making the most of every opportunity to get forward and join the attack.

Williams’ crosses into the box caused the Everton backline plenty of problems and he was perhaps a tad unfortunate not to grab an assist.

He also had a chance to open the scoring during the first half but failed to hit the target after getting on the end of Victor Adeboyejo’s deep cross. It was a difficult chance, in fairness.

Mendes Gomes cameo

Carlos Mendes Gomes came off the bench for the final 18 minutes after completing his move from Premier League Luton.

The 24-year-old has already proven what he can do at this level, scoring 10 goals in 38 games during a loan spell at Fleetwood last term.

The home crowd were desperate to get a look at the new signing and were excited by his electric pace in the final stages against the Toffees.

Mendes Gomes’ versatility will also benefit the squad over the coming season, giving Evatt the option to mix things up during games.

Positive signs

The overall performance was rather encouraging with the curtain raiser against Lincoln less than two weeks away.

Saturday’s clash with Championship outfit West Brom will be another good test for Evatt’s squad as they aim to hit the ground running in the league.

Jack Iredale impressed on Tuesday night despite a lengthy injury lay-off during the second half of last season with a knee problem.

The defender seems a natural fit in the wide centre-back role, which is a boost after George Johnston’s long-term injury.

Zac Ashworth has also looked bright during his first couple of appearances after joining on an initial loan deal from West Brom which could later be made permanent. The youngster was used in the wing-back role against the Toffees.