YOU’D give Gary Madine a pat on the back for his considerable efforts at Port Vale… but he probably wouldn’t thank you for it!

The big striker came to Wanderers’ aid in their hour of need, silencing the whisperers who had questioned his commitment to the cause in recent weeks.

Nursing a shoulder injury which should – by rights – have shelved him until the summer, Madine somehow managed 90 minutes before claiming his 10th goal of the season.

It is a shame his strike did not cap a promotion party which had been raging since David Wheater’s header gave Wanderers the lead on 66 minutes.

Fleetwood’s late winner at Gillingham forced the partygoers to press pause but there was still so much to take from a win which underlined the Whites’ claim for an instant return to Championship football.

Madine has been on a non-stop battle to win over his critics since the first ball was kicked. But when Phil Parkinson set down his challenge to “play through the pain” after the goalless draw with Bury, we all watched and wondered if he would respond.

The manager was first to acknowledge his efforts, taking him off to a standing ovation from the 4,400 travelling fans.

“He fully deserved that reaction because he has a serious injury,” he told The Bolton News.

“Ideally he would have had a bit longer but the doctor came down with us, has given him an injection and strapped the shoulder up.

“He came in yesterday and we were deliberating whether to start him on the bench, put him on for 30 minutes, but he was determined to start.

“I’m very pleased with that. It’s the kind of attitude and spirit we’ve had all season and we need it for one more game.”

The target man ended up being the target for Vale, whose cheap attempts to damage Madine’s shoulder further were as plain as day.

He struggled on, surprising this reporter by appearing for the second half, let alone seeing out 90 minutes and claiming a goal.

Vale’s cause might have been helped had Riginio Cicilia stayed on the pitch. But, eight minutes after launching into a poor challenge on Jem Karacan and picking up his first caution, a deliberate handball in the Wanderers box earned a swift, if a little harsh, red.

The first half was tense but the Whites’ football was considerably more measured and accurate than it had been against Scunthorpe, Oldham or Bury.

Vale’s massive pitch gave Filipe Morais plenty of space to gallop and Karacan, making his first start, also impressed with a non-stop performance in the middle of the park.

The game ambled along with results elsewhere periodically bringing a reaction from the crowd. When Fleetwood fell behind at Gillingham the order to attack was sent out by 4,000 voices.

Jerome Thomas nearly silenced them all with a fine effort which bounced off Mark Howard’s right-hand post.

A blocked effort from Karacan nearly fell kindly for Madine at the other end, the striker only denied a tap-in by some fine defending from Nathan Smith.

As the hour mark passed, Vale were pinned in. Parkinson had tweaked his attack by bringing James Henry on for Karacan and Wanderers looked good to hammer home their numerical advantage.

The moment everyone had been waiting for arrived when Morais swung in a free kick from the right and Wheater climbed high above Andre Bikey to power a header home.

Utter delirium followed. Fans spilled out in celebration on to the pitch and for a few moments you wondered whether the afternoon was about to take a sinister turn. Thankfully sense prevailed and the field was slowly cleared.

Police did a good job hemming the away support in from there – but in honesty Fleetwood’s late goal did them a real favour, taking the edge off the party mood.

It wasn’t the end of the drama. Howard was called upon to make a marvellous save from sub Gezim Shalaj, pushing the ball on to the post before scooping it off the line.

Madine then grabbed the goal his bravery deserved, finishing calmly after a cut-back from Morais.

Yes, the buzz had worn off by the time Wanderers were able to walk over and thank the fans for their excellent, if over-exuberant, backing. But the result eliminated so many of the doubts which had been circling recent performances.

The negative sorts had been out in force in the build-up to the game, almost willing Bolton to come a cropper so they could say “I told you so” in 140 characters or less.

Perhaps this performance has restored some faith. Vale could have been a massive banana skin but was negotiated with impressive professionalism. It all bodes well for next weekend against Peterborough – a side supposedly ‘on the beach’ but who clearly seem to be enjoying their holidays if the 4-2 win against Bristol Rovers is anything to go by.

It may well be a big party at the Macron Stadium – one to rival the Middlesbrough survival even?

But if events at Vale Park taught us anything it was that celebrations must wait until the final whistle. Then, and only then, can we start planning for a Championship return.