WANDERERS hit top spot in League One with a 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers, with Phil Parkinson paying tribute to another perfectly-executed game-plan.

The Whites boss urged his side to start faster than they had in victory at Wimbledon at the weekend and got his wish as two goals from Josh Vela and Jay Spearing inside 26 minutes gave his side the perfect start.

“That was the key,” he told The Bolton News. “We’d started slowly against Wimbledon but we couldn’t afford to here.

“The lads responded well and we started quickly. It was a great breakaway goal – Proccy (Jamie Proctor) picked up the loose ball and Mark Davies played a great pass to Josh – it was a terrific goal.

“Jay’s was a great free-kick and that means he’s top scorer on two goals now. It doesn’t surprise me him scoring goals like that because he’s a terrific technician.”

Wanderers had not won three games on the bounce at the start of a season since 2001 but faced a side who had been cruising on home turf since their promotion from League Two last season.

“Tonight we came to a team who in their last 16 league games have won 15 and drawn one, with a partisan crowd and when I came down here Sunday I thought ‘wow, we’re going to have to be at our best here’ and we were,” Parkinson said.

“For 45 minutes we were outstanding. They were always going to have a spell in the game but we stayed strong and had chances to kill the game off.

“I couldn’t ask any more from the lads. I’m delighted to take a win.”

Elliott Harrison’s 56th minute goal, buried on the rebound after Chris Lines’ free kick was pushed on to the post by Mark Howard, set up a tense finale.

But Parkinson was full of praise at the way his players held firm.

“It was a big test. The reason they have done well is because of the crowd – it’s so partisan, so passionate, and they have got a threat from the bench,” he said.

“They made a couple of changes at half time and that just gave them a bit more impetus.

“Mark (Howard) made a wonderful save to push the ball on to the post but Harrison reacted quicker than us to score.

“But, really, they didn’t have much else that troubled us and we had the better chances to kill the game off after that to extend the lead.