WANDERERS are aiming for double top of the table – and Ricardo Santos has revealed one of the secrets he hopes can help get them there.

To ease the promotion pressures in League One and help with team bonding, Ian Evatt’s squad have been holding friendly darts tournaments after training.

They have been helped by Tonge-based Darts Corner, who installed boards at Lostock, and some players have even caught the bug that badly they have asked for personalised darts and boards at home too.

Santos, Aaron Collins and Josh Sheehan have all appeared in social media ’45 second challenges’ – showcasing their skills to varying degrees, alongside a handful of other footballers who live in the area.

Collins impressed with some big-hitting scores, registering 438, with Sheehan hitting 249 and Santos 210.

Club skipper Santos says throwing a few legs has lightened the mood in what has been a relentless spell of fixtures for Wanderers, who will play their 22nd game in 75 days at Derby County on Saturday.

“I am not really a darts guy,” he smiled. “So I don’t know the sport that well but when the World Championships came on the telly, Luke Littler and all that, everyone started playing.

“There are a few good players, to be fair, Cogs (Josh Dacres-Cogley), Demps (Kyle Dempsey) and Geth (Jones). Caleb (Taylor) is OK as well.

“I have got a lot better. I am not one of the best ones but I’m in the middle. I have got the reach.

“I think Josh Sheehan went down to Darts Corner to get his own dart board, so I thought I’d do the same, went down there and they wanted to do a darts challenge. I think I did okay.

“But it’s good fun, it helps the lads get together.”

Evatt has eyed the international break for a number of weeks now as an opportunity to get some of his injured players back fit, and his team up to speed after a hectic schedule since January.

Saturday’s hosts Derby have played eight fewer games in all competitions – counting the two that were abandoned against Cheltenham and Cambridge – since the turn of the year. But Paul Warne’s side have also suffered injuries and currently have seven first team players out of action.

The Rams gambled on bringing in free agent Dwight Gayle last month and while the former Newcastle United striker, now 34, has not yet completed a full 90 minutes, he has chipped in with goals in each of his last three appearances.

There are Bolton fans in their forties who were not born the last time the Whites won a league game in Derby – 1981, and a time when Adam and the Ants ruled the charts.

But this season the Rams have been fallible at home - Wigan, Blackpool, Oxford, Crewe, Peterborough, Bradford and Charlton all winning at Pride Park across the various competitions.

A crowd of more than 31,000 will pack in for an eagerly anticipated game of second versus third, and tabs will no doubt be kept on the action at Fratton Park, where fourth-placed Peterborough United take on league leaders Portsmouth.

Evatt has stressed that nothing will be decided at Derby, win, lose or draw – and with seven games to follow, it is safe to assume there will be further twists in what is becoming an absorbing promotion fight.

But both Wanderers and Derby know that a win would be a huge psychological fillip going towards the last month of the regular campaign. Neither side want to contemplate the play-offs and both have large expectant fanbases with designs on Championship football next season.

As such, relieving some of the stress with a few legs of darts has been a godsend in recent weeks.

“When we have had a little time we have enjoyed it,” said vice-captain, Gethin Jones, who has been called up to the Australia squad for forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Lebanon. “After watching Luke Littler we have all off a sudden got a few good players who are practising on the sly at home. They are coming in the next day and hitting 180s.

“Cogs is very good, Demps is good, I have really got into it as well. I got told when I came back from playing for Australia that Rico was really poor but the way he has played recently, I think he’s the most improved player.

“The last nine weeks has been tough, Saturday-Tuesday games, and normally we’d try and get some team bonding sessions like going go-karting, or having a day out, going for food, but we haven’t really had the time to do that recently.

“So, when there’s 20-30 minutes free it is nice to enjoy ourselves, the pressure is sky high, it is good pressure and something I think we are enjoying. You would much rather be fighting at this end of the table than scrapping to stay in the league.”