AS the Macron bounced to the expectant beat of thousands of Wanderers fans on Saturday afternoon you could close your eyes and be transported back to the good old days.

Back when the Reebok roared with regularity, such a dogged determination to eke out results was commonplace.

Somewhere in the mire of bad decisions made in the last four years that spirit was eroded, some feared forever.

This – as gritty and dogged a performance as we have seen from Wanderers in many years – was a timely reminder that this grand old club can still surprise.

Jay Spearing’s 37th minute volley was fit to win any game, Premier League or otherwise. It came at a time when Wanderers had ridden their luck but served to focus minds and even after they were reduced to 10 men when the unfortunate Darren Pratley was stretchered off, losing a grip on three points never really came into the equation.

Whether it be Burnden, the Reebok or the modern day Macron, Bolton’s home has always had a formidable aura when in full song, as it was this weekend.

You have to earn backing like that. And it says everything that we have not felt the stadium pulse like that since the Premier League era ended so disappointingly.

To have fallen down to the third tier has been a bitter pill to swallow. A glorious arena will play host to much smaller crowds this season, without doubt, but provided players match the level of effort demanded by Phil Parkinson it does not mean we won’t see scenes like these again.

It will take a lot more than atmosphere to get Wanderers out of League One, as Sheffield United can probably attest.

Their 4,000-strong following was as loud and proud as we have come to expect and Bramall Lane is never anything less than intimidating.

But at this level you need to find a way to win, and in Parkinson the Whites have someone who makes a habit of it.

Castigated for their failures last season, Wanderers have looked like a side eager to make amends through the summer. This was the real acid test and the early signs are good.

As it happened, the opening half hour belonged to the Blades. Leon Clarke, the recent capture from Bury, missed a simple header from close range and the lively Mark Duffy fired two crosses across the six-yard box which were begging to be put away.

Duffy and marauding full-back John Brayford were getting beyond Dean Moxey with alarming regularity and by the midway point in the first half there was little to suggest Parkinson was going to enjoy his first day in the dugout.

Things changed after Spearing’s brilliant half-volley. A long throw routine – used effectively by Bolton throughout – saw the ball cleared to the edge of the box, met with stunning accuracy by a midfielder hardly renowned for his goal-scoring ability.

Of the four Wanderers debutants on the pitch from the start only Chris Taylor really struggled to show his real worth.

Lewis Buxton defended stoutly, albeit with some signs of rustiness, and Mark Howard dealt with anything that came his way after getting the nod ahead of Ben Amos.

The real early success story was Mark Beevers whose partnership with David Wheater – himself a second debutant of sorts – showed some real signs of promise. Both men got their bodies in the way at the right times to keep the Blades blunted, as evidenced by the fact they did not put a shot on target through the whole game.

Howard had to make sure a couple of awkward crosses were diverted over the bar but otherwise had a comfortable time against his former club.

Just as Parkinson freshened things up with a few changes from the bench, fortunes took a turn for the worse.

Darren Pratley turned out of a challenge with Clarke and looked in immediate trouble. The Wanderers skipper had worked hard and could have scored a second when a close-range header was pushed out by George Long. But the pain stopped him in his tracks and the injury – it seems – could keep him out for some time.

That left the Whites facing the final 20 minutes with 10 men. We had read this script before.

This time, however, a collective rallying among the home supporters helped make up the numbers. There would be no late equaliser, no dropped points, no more talk of failure.

Offside decisions and throw-ins were celebrated like goals. Jamie Proctor – on for his debut as a sub – was willed by 13,000 fans to take the ball towards the corner flag and keep it there. Wanderers were going to keep hold of three points by any means necessary. It was a play right out of the Sam Allardyce manual.

It was only one step in the right direction for Parkinson and his side but nevertheless it felt an important one.

After going through what they have in the last 12 months why shouldn’t Wanderers’ fans savour the good moments?

It feels nice to believe again.