Wanderers will finish 2023 in the automatic promotion spots thanks to a Dion Charles-inspired win at struggling Fleetwood Town
Bolton’s top scorer took his tally for the season to 16 with a deflected effort in the second half, then produced a moment of ingenuity to create a goal for strike partner Victor Adeboyejo to see the game out.
Former Fleetwood man Charles seemed determined to make the night a miserable one for his former club – and thanks to dropped points for Peterborough at home to Barnsley, Wanderers go into the New Year in second spot.
Ian Evatt’s side also have a game in hand on leaders Portsmouth, who were held to a goalless draw by Exeter City, and could go top if they win it.
Wanderers made three changes from the side that beat Lincoln City on Boxing Day, bringing in Josh Sheehan, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Kyle Dempsey and dropping Aaron Morley, Paris Maghoma and Vic Adeboyejo to the bench.
Defender Jack Iredale also dropped out of the squad after picking up a minor injury.
Conditions were obviously going to be to the detriment of the football Bolton could play but they still managed to dominate the first half and should have been up by the break
Dion Charles had a goal ruled out for offside, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson nudged a shot against the post and ex-Wanderers keeper Jay Lynch made a couple of decent saves to keep the score-lines level when the difference in quality looked obvious for anyone watching on.
At pitchside the winds blew at more than 40 miles per hour and coupled with the rain coming in off the Fylde Coast, any sensible possession play was practically impossible.
Both sides struggled for the opening 15 minutes but Bolton did eventually get into their stride, and the combination of George Thomason and Randell Williams proved fruitful.
Williams cut in from the left on a couple of occasions to try and test Lynch, often picked out by looping cross-field passes from Ricardo Santos at the back. Thomason’s support play became more important as the half wore on but he too struggled to find a way through, as the hosts packed the penalty box looking to protect their point.
Fleetwood’s only real effort at goal in the first 45 minutes came when a poor touch from Sheehan dropped nicely for Phoenix Patterson but his scuffed shot was easily pickings for Nathan Baxter.
Bodvarsson had come close to turning in a dangerous cross from Kyle Dempsey before hitting the woodwork with the best chance of the half, created after some typically busy work on the left from Charles.
They ran back down the tunnel in good mood, and it followed them into the second half where Charles quickly made one of their chances count.
Dacres-Cogley’s throw was headed weakly into the path of Charles by Brendan Wiredu, and the Northern Ireland international shuffled his weight to drive a low shot which nicked off Josh Earl and rolled into the bottom corner.
Fleetwood had shown little evidence to that point that they could get back into the game – but Wanderers knew they needed a second goal to feel comfortable.
Dempsey went close with a rasping right-footed drive which whistled just past the post, but the chances started to run dry by the middle of the second half and Fleetwood were able to flash a few crosses into the Bolton box to keep Eoin Toal and Ricardo Santos on their toes.
Just over 1,000 Wanderers fans tried to keep their side motivated with a never-ending stream of songs from the Percy Ronson Stand.
And then with seven minutes left on the clock, a brilliant step-over from Charles allowed Dempsey’s right-wing cross to make its way to sub Adeboyejo, who passed home his first goal in eight games.
Fleetwood might have made for a more dramatic finale had Bosun Lawal’s shot found its way into the net with a few minutes left instead of bouncing off Santos and behind the goal.
