Wanderers had to settle for a point following an eventful 1-1 draw against League One leaders Portsmouth, but what did we learn from the contest?

Super Santos

Ricardo Santos produced a big performance at the heart of defence to nullify Colby Bishop and then substitute Kusini Yengi.

Bishop is one of the leading scorers in the division and Yengi proved a handful at Fratton Park earlier in the season, but neither were able to make their mark on the game this time around.

Evatt had been worried after the skipper picked up a calf issue at Bristol Rovers a week prior, but he played through the pain and didn’t let his performance levels drop against the league leaders.

Perhaps the highlight of Santos’ display was a superb last-ditch challenge on Yengi, with very little margin for error as the Pompey forward raced towards goal.

Collins impact

Collins produced another moment of quality to steer Nat Ogbeta’s cross past Will Norris and into the Pompey net.

The Welshman has now scored six goals in his last six matches and is hitting top form at the perfect stage of the season.

There has been plenty of pressure on Wanderers’ depleted strike force in recent weeks, but Collins has thrived off it and will be keen to carry his prolific form into the final fixtures.

The return of top scorer Dion Charles is also a major boost in the final third as the Whites look to finish strongly.

Missed opportunities

Bolton certainly created enough chances to secure all three points but ultimately didn’t make them count.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson missed a big opportunity in the second half, failing to keep his strike down from close range.

Charles was also denied by the woodwork after an instinctive flick from Kyle Dempsey’s cut-back, while Santos went close from a couple of dangerous set-pieces.

Only Peterborough have scored more goals than Wanderers in League One this season, and yet it still feels like Evatt’s side have been left ruing a killer touch in front of goal on too many occasions.

Booming atmosphere

Evatt called for the Bolton supporters to create an intimidating atmosphere in the build-up to the game, citing an interview from Bruce Rioch 30 years prior.

The bumper crowd at the Toughsheet Community Stadium certainly did that from the moment the players walked out of the tunnel.

It is cliché, but the fans really did serve as a ‘12th man’ at times – particularly as Wanderers looked to get back on track after Abu Kamara’s early opener.

Only Pompey have picked up more points at home than the Whites since the start of the campaign and the upcoming matches against Shrewsbury and Port Vale could still prove crucial in the promotion race.

Another twist

While there were plenty of positives to take from the overall performance, the result has put automatic promotion back in Derby’s hands.

The Rams cruised to a 3-0 victory against Leyton Orient at Pride Park after Sonny Bradley’s brace and a George Moncur own goal.

Paul Warne’s side now have a four-point cushion over Bolton, which could be reduced to one before they play again on Saturday, April 20.

Derby’s next match is a trip to Cambridge, which could prove tricky as the U’s battle to pull away from the drop zone. They also face Carlisle on the final day, whose relegation to League Two has already been confirmed.