IAN Evatt hopes Wanderers fans got a little glimpse of what Amadou Bakayoko can bring to the team in League One this season with his first pre-season outing.

The former Coventry City striker put Bolton ahead at Longridge Town with a smart finish and went close on a couple of other occasions.

Signed to provide competition for last season’s top scorer, Eoin Doyle, the 25-year-old front man gave a good account of himself as Whites fans were finally able to see their side in action on Saturday – some 487 days since they were last in attendance at Burton Albion in March 2020.

“You can all see the difference from Eoin, who is a clinical penalty box striker,” Evatt said of his new signing. “Baka gives us pace, power and aggression, so he offers something different.

“A couple of times second half he was in it and on it in a flash. He hurries defenders, he makes it difficult for them, and he just needs to be a bit more clinical in front of goal, but we’ll work with him and I am sure he will take those chances.”

Longridge reported a maximum capacity of just over 600 supporters inside the Mike Riding Ground, which provided a reminder of what had been missed when football was locked behind closed doors in the pandemic.

Evatt and his promotion heroes from last season were cheered off the pitch by the lucky few hundred who had secured tickets to see the game.

And the Bolton boss was delighted to sample the sights and sounds of a matchday with paying patrons once again.

“It was great,” he said. “Obviously you hear a couple of rogue shouts - ‘what are you doing?’ when you’re 1-0 down and I’m thinking ‘give me a break!’ “But that’s football, it is funny, It is laughable.

“You’ve got lads climbing through mounds of grass from the cricket ground to try and get in because they didn’t have tickets.

“It is what football is all about really. It is great to see smiles on people’s faces and the players will appreciate that.”