IN the grander scheme of things, there are more important matters to worry about at Wanderers than the huge gulf in class at the London Stadium or a meek exit from the Carabao Cup.

Saturday’s home clash with Brentford will have a much greater bearing on whether Phil Parkinson can quell the growing number of concerned fans at the Macron Stadium.

A trip to West Ham’s plush but hardly purpose-built new home was viewed by many as a novelty and even billed by the manager himself as “respite” from the pressures of the Championship.

But, nevertheless, there will be those who remain disappointed the Whites did not make more of a fist of the game, won with two first-half goals from Angelo Ogbonna and Diafra Sakho and a late stunner from Arthur Masuaku.

And with a goal-less streak now stretching towards eight hours, Parkinson desperately needs to find an answer to his failing attack in the bread and butter of the league.

There was a time Wanderers came to West Ham with a confidence bordering on arrogance.

Matthew Upson and Rob Green probably still see Kevin Davies in their nightmares, such was the hold Bolton once had on the Hammers in their Premier League heyday.

But it became quickly evident there would be no shock on the cards last night as the Hammers produced a start of which Usain Bolt would have been proud at the former Olympic Stadium.

You could hardly have imagined a more nervous start as a speculative shot from Diafra Sakho was nearly spilled over the line by Mark Howard in the first minute.

Less than 60 seconds later, the Hammers were celebrating a goal.

Marko Arnautioic – making his first start since getting sent off on his home debut – whipped in a free kick, met solidly by the head of Angelo Ogbonna for the opener.

The gulf in class was hard to miss in a first half where Wanderers were rarely allowed out of their own half.

Arnautovic, who cost the Hammers £25million from Stoke City in the summer, looked every inch the star signing as he swaggered around the London Stadium without the Whites managing to get close.

The Austrian danced around Mark Beevers 10 minutes in to bring a good save out of Howard and then turned provider again to lay a shot on for Andre Ayew, who clipped the outside of the post.

In an attacking sense Wanderers were complete non-entities. Parkinson had used Adam Le Fondre on the left side of attack but neither he nor Craig Noone on the right managed to get close to target man Aaron Wilbraham for the opening 45 minutes.

Wilbraham did manage one solitary header on target – celebrated with no small sense of irony from the 1,000 Bolton fans behind the opposite goal – but otherwise West Ham could have picked their scoreline.

Arnautovic should have scored when he found himself in acres of space, and surprisingly onside, but managed to send his lobbed shot over Howard and a few yards over the bar.

He sprung the offside trap again on the left to race on to Mark Noble’s excellent pass on 31 minutes, this time producing a classy pass from the byline to pick out Sakho to stroke home the second goal.

West Ham took their foot off the gas as half time approached and that at least allowed the likes of Morais and Noone a little possession to feel like they had been in a game.

Parkinson brought on David Wheater for Dorian Dervite at half time and presumably with an instruction to his side to give the travelling fans at least something to warrant the long trip.

The Whites did indeed have a bit more of a go in the moments after the break. Noone stabbed one shot into the side netting after a clever free-kick routine and Le Fondre had a shot blocked on the edge of the penalty box.

West Ham had effectively declared with 20 minutes to go, the game descending into a training-ground exercise of who could keep the ball longer. Even the addition of Mexican Chicharito failed to really spice up a deathly-quiet stadium.

Le Fondre, to his credit, continued to buzz around the home defenders and while his efforts amounted to nothing it was at least the attitude his manager had asked for in the build-up to the game.

A couple of late corners brought another effort on target, this time a Beevers header, and a shot from sub Jack Earing which was well-blocked by Declan Rice.

Wanderers’ fans sang until the end, even mocking their hosts that the margin of victory had only been two goals – that is until Masuaka belted one into the top scorer in stoppage time to halt their chants.

Still the Bolton fans sang as they filed back out into the Olympic Park. It is unlikely their humour will extend to the weekend if the same kind of score-line occurs against Brentford.

WANDERERS PLAYER RATINGS (3-4-3)

MARK HOWARD 5

DORIAN DERVITE 5

MARK BEEVERS 5

ANDY TAYLOR 5.5

FIL MORAIS 5

DARREN PRATLEY 5.5

JEFF KING 5

ANTONEE ROBINSON 5

CRAIG NOONE 5

AARON WILBRAHAM 5

ADAM LE FONDRE 6

Subs: Wheater 6, 46 (for Dervite), Earing 71 (for Noone), Armstrong 80 (for King)

Not used: Turner, Madine, Brockbank, White

West Ham (4-3-3): Adrian; Byram, Rice, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Haksabanovic, Kouyate, Noble; Ayew, Sakho, Arnautovic.

Subs: Holland 62 (for Haksabanovic), Chicharito 70 (for Sakho), Quina 77 (for Noble)

Not used: Hart, Cresswell, Fonte, Antonio.

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire) 7