PANTO stars Dick Whittington and King Rat provided some half time entertainment at the Macron – not that the fans were left wanting as Wanderers slipped effortlessly back into character against Millwall.

Rehearsals for the festive family show start this week and after defeats against Cheltenham and Peterborough, it looked like Phil Parkinson’s side were the ones stumbling over their lines.

The loss of influential main men Mark Howard and David Wheater before the game forced the Whites into a late cast change – but any worries were soon pushed aside as the understudies shone and goals from Josh Vela and Tom Thorpe left fans demanding an encore.

It has been a while since we were really able to have fun at Wanderers, yet anywhere you looked on Saturday afternoon there was a smile to be seen. Characters are developing in Parkinson’s squad and though the last couple of weeks have shown it won’t all be plain sailing this still looks a team who are destined to stick around at the top end of League One.

Whether it was the crowd-pleasingly delicate skills of Zach Clough and Sammy Ameobi or the sweat and steel offered by Jay Spearing, there was something for everyone to admire in a dominant display which helped banish the memory of the previous weekend’s sluggish efforts at London Road.

Where else could you see a 6ft 5in centre-half like Mark Beevers perform a drag-back on the edge of the box and then shoot at goal with the outside of his boot?

Andrew Taylor – castigated for passing back to keeper Ben Alnwick at one stage – ended up with fans chanting his name after engaging in some playful banter with patrons in the East Stand.

It appears the squad are enjoying playing for Wanderers again, and in a year where that has not always been the case, it is a pleasure to report.

The manner of this victory was made even more impressive when you consider this was no run-of-the-mill League One opponent. Neil “Chopper” Harris’ side had won each of the five games played since they were turned over by Wanderers at The Den and have in their midst some talented young players.

Millwall had not, however, won a league match at Bolton in their last 10 attempts, a run which stretches way back to October 1973, and but for a bright opening 10 minutes they never looked anything other than second best on Saturday.

Wheater's back injury sustained late in Friday’s final training session meant a late call for Derik Osede in his preferred position of centre-half. The Spaniard’s ability on the ball gives Wanderers a different dimension and though he was not tested extensively, this was a hugely encouraging return to the team.

Likewise, Alnwick, who had come off the bench against his former club Peterborough last week looking rusty. Here, he did everything asked of him – including a half-decent save from Harry Smith with the only shot the Lions managed to put on target in 90 minutes.

Right from the start the tempo was higher than it had been last weekend. Spearing – back in midfield for the first time since the derby win over Bury – hardly missed a beat in the middle and fizzed an early shot past Jordan Archer’s right-hand post.

Millwall asked a few questions of the reorganised back five in the opening exchanges but once Vela put Wanderers ahead, it was all Bolton.

The 22-year-old midfielder looks a completely different player to the one whose nose had been pushed out of joint at right-back last season. No shoulders slumped, no pained expression, the Salfordian has found his groove in an exciting Whites front line and produced a wonderful half-volley from 20 yards to put his team into the lead on 17 minutes.

Liam Trotter had a goal ruled out for offside and also picked up a fifth yellow card of the season for a lunging foul on Aiden O’Brien, which means he misses tomorrow’s game against Coventry.

The inter-play between Taylor and Clough down the left side was causing particular problems to the visitors. No-one inside the Macron expected them to be joined by Beevers, however, and the big defender was desperately unlucky with an angled shot tipped over the bar by Archer.

On the stroke of half time Spearing was unlucky not to double the lead as his glancing header bounced off the bar.

Tom Thorpe came on for Trotter in the second half and helped Wanderers quickly get back into their stride.

Clough and Vela were hunting down the Lions’ defenders and hassling mistakes with regularity. In true panto spirit, the travelling fans could have shouted “he’s behind you” to Mahlon Romeo as he was tracked down to concede a corner.

Moments later, Spearing swung the ball in for Tom Thorpe to head his first goal since joining on loan from Rotherham.

Ameobi then took centre stage, running at will against a visiting defence by then looking to plot a Dick Whittington-style path to London in the quickest time possible.

The winger went close to adding a third with one rasping 30-yard drive which was too hot to handle for keeper Archer.

Parkinson had the luxury of resting some of his players in the final stages with the visit of Coventry in mind but will be equally pleased his side kept their shape as Millwall tried to muster some sort of late response.

And so the curtain came down on a most satisfying result.

Wanderers had failed to be entirely convincing in the three games since the Port Vale win, some seeing this as a sign Parkinson’s side could be on the wane.

As they say on the stage... "Oh no it wasn't!"