OH, for another afternoon where everything goes right in Crawley.

Before last weekend’s high-pressure game at home to Reading, it was debated among Bolton supporters if there had been any other regular-season fixture with more riding upon it for embattled manager, Ian Evatt. The only potential exception being their promotion battle at the Broadfield Stadium in May 2021.

Defeats against Charlton, Exeter City and Huddersfield Town may have been interspersed by cup successes but the league table reflected the worrying direction of travel in the early season, and something had to change.

As has do often been the case in Evatt’s four years in charge, he found an answer when he most needed one. A shift in formation, in captain and the reunion of Victor Adeboyejo and Dion Charles up front resulted in a much-needed win, the dial moving out of the red, at least for a little while.

Evatt’s job security had been widely discussed after the play-off final defeat at Wembley, the board quickly concluding that he was still the man they wanted to lead the search for promotion success after two near misses in League One. And despite a shaky start, that view evidently had not changed when serious discussions took place a fortnight ago.

But in reality, the pressure on the Bolton boss had never been heavier than it was in that first tumultuous campaign, which culminated in an empty stadium in West Sussex – the same one to which they travel on Saturday lunchtime with expectations again riding high.

“No-one really knows what I have had to go through,” Evatt said at the time, proclaiming that amazing late charge to snatch third spot in League Two as the best moment of his football career to that point.

It had indeed been a crazy campaign, Bolton one of only a handful of clubs never to allow fans through their own turnstiles. And given the erratic form shown in the first half of the season, Evatt has since conceded that the lack of supporters was probably a bonus.

After winning the power struggle with head of football operations, Tobias Phoenix, and bringing in ally Chris Markham for a truly transformative January window, there can be few teams who have turned around their fortunes in such a short space of time.

With Covid rules still in force, the only way fans could officially watch Bolton beat Crawley 4-1 was on TV or through their laptops. Some did travel, against advice, and once promotion was secured all precaution went out of the window as the players and coaching staff rushed outside to celebrate. More joyous scenes were to follow late in the evening once they reached the Whites Hotel, Eoin Doyle memorably jumping off the coach and dancing in front of the assembled crowd, while his teammates waited in a nearby bus stop for a police escort.

Evatt and his players have enjoyed more celebrations – after the Papa Johns Final, then in reaching Wembley again with a play-off semi-final win against Barnsley. Sadly, hindsight made the latter feel decidedly unwise but all involved are desperate to sample those good times again.

It seems the fate of the Bolton boss right now, however, to be hovering on the edge of recovery and crisis. Until the Whites can put together a genuine run of form, the critics who have increased in volume – both in number and audibly – will continue to make themselves heard.

Victory against a vulnerable Reading team at least restored faith that there are goals in this team, Dion Charles’s hat-trick also playing him into a nice vein of form.

But if Wanderers need to prove anything else to a fanbase still reserving judgement then it is that the defensive frailty they have shown in the last few weeks are only a temporary problem.

Crawley, without a manager after the departure of Scott Lindsey to MK Dons, would dearly love to claim a scalp. In Ronan Darcy they also have a player who will be itching to show his former club they were wrong to release him a couple of years ago.

The Ormskirk-born midfielder was part of those celebrations back in 2021 having played 11 games that season and along with other departees Adam Senior and Harry Brockbank is part of the last group of academy players to make a dent on the first team picture at Bolton.

Darcy has found a fresh lease of life at Crawley, helping them out of League Two via the play-offs last season and featuring in all but one game in league and cup this time around.

How the Reds will react to losing the influential Lindsey is unclear but Bolton must surely be viewing it as a bonus as they look to go again just 64 hours after the kick-off at the Emirates.

There won’t be the same scenes of joy after the final whistle if Wanderers are victorious in front of the TV cameras on Saturday, nor will all doubt be removed. Ground has been conceded to the top two spots, and until it has been recovered, fans are unlikely to buy-in completely.

But if Evatt and his players can keep the positive results coming to the international break, they will feel another important test has been passed.