Stoke City boss Steven Schumacher reckons Wanderers are “as good as a Championship team”.

The Potters ran out 1-0 winners at the Toughsheet Community Stadium thanks to Million Manhoef’s goal in the first half.

Schumacher only had positive things to say about the Whites after the final whistle and believes his squad will benefit from the fixture.

“I thought it was a great game,” he told the club’s official channels. “It looked like a real game.

“We said to the lads after Saturday we had to prepare for this like it’s a league fixture and treat it like one – starting the game properly and trying to play in Bolton’s half.

“These are as good as a Championship team, they were one of the best teams in League One last year and really unfortunate not to go up.

“We knew it would be a tough game so we had to apply ourselves properly. There were loads of tackles going in, it was feisty and some really good football from both teams.”

Schumacher, who is preparing for his first full season at Stoke, felt his side could have been more clinical in front of goal but was pleased with how they saw the game out.

“We have proven we can mix it, it was competitive and the lads had to stick up for each other at times,” he continued.

“We played some brilliant football and caused Bolton loads of problems. Some of the moves we produced were really good and we probably should have scored more goals.

“Defensively, we were good as well. We nicked it back off them high up the pitch numerous times and probably weren’t clinical enough.

“But the one time we won it in the middle of the pitch, Million produced a bit of quality to win us the game and that was important.

“I said at half time if we got to the last 10 or 15 minutes (leading), let’s manage the game like a league game and we did.”