EXACTLY who got the decisive goal was debatable – but the immense value of three points last night was not in question at all.

Wanderers’ social media accounts were giving the 83rd-minute winner to Mark Beevers who certainly seemed to celebrate like the winning goalscorer, others in the press box were leaning towards a first goal in Bolton colours for Felipe Morais.

But it was an argument Whites fans were happy to have on the way out of the Macron last night as Phil Parkinson’s side took a massive step towards the top two with a hard-fought and thoroughly deserved victory against their Lancastrian neighbours.

Romantic it most certainly was not. Rochdale had not scored for four games and showed little attacking intent throughout.

Wanderers have learned how to win ugly under Parkinson this season, though, and with results elsewhere going their way for a change this was an opportunity they could not afford to miss.

Parkinson stuck with the winning formula from Saturday and with the back three that had served him so well. Unlike Walsall, however, Keith Hill’s gritty, hard-working side pulled every trick in the book to keep themselves on level terms.

The two sides cancelled each other out early on, Wanderers’ best work coming down the right-hand side through Morais and Josh Vela.

Referee Christopher Kavanagh took more of the attention than anyone else in the first half hour, blowing up for a succession of fouls and making the game difficult to watch.

If any of the crowd brought their partner to the Macron for a Valentine’s Day treat, one can only hope they had a nice meal first.

The boredom was lifted on 32 minutes when Jay Spearing’s corner was met firmly by birthday boy David Wheater – and Joe Rafferty was called upon to head the ball off the line with his keeper beaten.

A few minutes later Dale were forced into more emergency defending. This time Mark Kitching was back on the line to block Liam Trotter’s far-post shot – the referee waving away protests that he had done so with his arm.

In fairness, Kitching had stood like a regimental soldier to block the shot, so could not be accused of putting his arms in an ‘un-natural’ position.

Andy Taylor was forced off the pitch in the closing minutes of the half, booting the ball into touch to receive treatment, presumably with a reoccurance of the groin problem which forced him to pull out against MK Dons.

Rochdale defied protocol by keeping possession. Not exactly a sporting move – but then it hadn’t been a particularly sporting night to that point.

World Cup hero Roger Hunt came on to do the half-time draw, which also featured a game of walking football. Wanderers did break the deadlock in that one, winning the game 1-0.

Rochdale started well after the restart, Ollie Rathbone driving inches wide from the edge of the box before Ben Alnwick was called upon to push away a bouncing volley from Ian Henderson.

The visitors had come to the Macron for a dogfight and for a while, Wanderers played into their hands.

Alnwick bailed himself out of jail after spilling a cross into the path of Henderson, denying the Dale skipper with a smart stop from close range.

Wanderers decided on a change of tack – and Chris Long, who had been a major doubt on the eve of the game because of a hamstring injury, was the man Parkinson looked to spark something off.

Home fans called desperately for their side to attack but they were getting little change out of referee Kavanagh.

Results from elsewhere started to filter around the stadium. Bradford were trailing, Scunthorpe and Sheffield United held to a point. All of a sudden this felt like a pivotal point.

Each pass back to Alnwick was greeted with a chorus of frustration and when one of the keeper’s clearances went into touch with 10 minutes remaining the condemnation was deafening.

The Whites had to try and keep their nerve and hope that one more chance would drop their way.

And as if by magic, with seven minutes left, that opportunity arrived. Spearing’s corner bounced frantically around the six yard box – Gary Madine heading against the bar. A mass scramble ensued and Beevers poked a shot back towards goal which – according to the match announcer, at least – inched across the line.

Some press box judges gave it to Morais, who was also part of the scrum, but very few people celebrating could care less who took the credit.

Long nearly forced a second with a wicked cross, cleared inches wide of the post by the despairing dive of Keane.