A GLUEPOT pitch, sleet driving down from the South Yorkshire skies and two heavyweight teams determine to slug it out to a standstill: This, ladies and gentlemen, was proper Championship fayre.

Football need not be complicated to be a joy to watch, as we are rapidly growing to appreciate under Neil Lennon’s stewardship.

And this was the kind of day where a rabona flick would have seen you deposited in the Spion Kop quick smart.

There were moments to be savoured – not least Darren Pratley’s deft chip and finish for Wanderers’ second goal – but three points were won with good old-fashioned hard work above all else.

During Dougie Freedman’s time at Bolton tactics often took precedence, chess-like games decided by one moment of quality, victories chalked up to out-thinking an opposition manager.

Lennon’s tactical prowess is not to be under-estimated, for evidence on that front see his switch to a back three to combat Wednesday’s aerial threat and allow Josh Vela to add some creativity further up the field.

But it is that same fire that saw the Northern Irishman revel in games such as this in his playing days for the likes of Leicester City and Celtic that is now the hallmark of his team at the Macron Stadium, and Liverpool take note, because you’re next.

This was a day for men, not boys. And right in the middle of an experienced starting XI was Academy graduate Vela, once again showing huge maturity in knitting together the midfield.

Either side of him, Neil Danns and Pratley also deserved immense credit but for a 20-year-old to take charge of a game in the way he did at Hillsborough just emphasises how far he has come since being introduced to the first team.

“Josh works so hard,” Lennon said after the game. “You saw that first minute; he wins the ball and Feeney scores. But some of his passing and through-ball play and athleticism round the pitch really complimented the other two.

“He tired a wee bit towards the end, which is understandable because of the workload he got through, but his poise, his balance and his all-round play was fantastic.

“I thought Pratley was brilliant and took his goal superbly. But his all-round play was terrific.

“The front two were handful all game, Vela, Pratley, Danns in midfield – all outstanding – so there was a lot to be happy about.”

There certainly is, although realistically it is hard to imagine this kind of high-tempo game can be maintained all the way through to May with the current squad.

Emile Heskey rolled back the years by bossing Glenn Loovens and Tom Lees but at 37, can Wanderers rely on him to plough through 90 minutes every week?

Craig Davies, too, is experiencing frustration with his hamstrings – and may well miss next weekend’s game after limping off at the bitter end.

Lennon needs investment if the club stands any chance whatsoever of reeling in the 11-point gap on the play-offs. It is still a tall task but you sense anything is possible right now – again, Liverpool take note.

We wondered whether the last couple of months of improvement had caught up with the Whites before kick-off, with a couple of sub-par displays against Leeds and Huddersfield. Within 70 seconds, we got a definitive answer in Sheffield.

Vela crashed into a challenge on Jacques Maghoma on the edge of the box, freeing Liam Feeney to slide the opening goal of the game past Keiren Westwood.

Pratley made it two on 24 minutes, capitalising on a flick from Heskey and some dithering defending by Claude Dielna, dinking the ball over the Frenchman’s head and then crashing it into the top corner.

But Wanderers’ total domination of the game didn’t last much longer. Chris Maguire halved the deficit with a penalty after Matt Mills had tripped Atdhe Nuhiu.

The Owls improved after that point, testing the Whites’ back line on a surface which was churning up with each passing raindrop.

Wanderers remained a threat on the break, though, and just after the break Davies raced through on Vela’s pass only for Westwood to make a fine block.

The Wednesday keeper has been linked with Premier League Everton and no wonder – his shot-stopping was exemplary.

Within a five minute spell the Owls stopper had also repelled a header from Mills, a snap volley from Pratley and a header from Davies which should, in truth, have been buried in the back of the net.

Would Wanderers pay for their profligacy? It started to look like they might as the home side surged forward in the final 15 minutes.

Substitute Lewis Baker, who came close to signing for Bolton a fortnight ago, was denied by a marvellous block by Mills, lying flat on his back in the six-yard box after a goalmouth scramble.

The officials also came to the Whites’ rescue, disallowing Stevie May’s tap in for offside after Nuhiu had thundered a shot off the bar. Replays suggest Owls boss Stuart Gray’s disappointment with the decision was warranted.

In between all that, Wednesday sub Sam Hutchinson saw red for a second yellow card for over-zealous challenges on Pratley and Vela.

Ref Graham Scott clearly wanted to prolong the drama, adding six minutes of stoppage time, much to the disbelief of the Wanderers bench.

It was then Andy Lonergan came to his team’s aid, springing athletically to his right to push Dielma’s shot on to the inside of the post.

That proved to be the final act of an enthralling contest, and certainly not the first since Lennon walked through the Macron doors.

The Wanderers boss will want the same effort as a minimum requirement at Anfield next weekend. Surely, though, he will need a little more quality if the club are to put another result in the record books.