WANDERERS plundered four goals in the final 18 minutes at Atherton Colls to give the score-line a decisive feel – but what did we learn from another 90 minutes in pre-season?

Ian Evatt was without the injured Antoni Sarcevic and two players self-isolating in Eoin Doyle and Dennis Politic.

Andy Tutte and Alex Baptiste returned to contention and Xavier Amaechi featured for an hour, with 22 other players given 45 minutes and midfielder Brandon Comley 30.

Here are a few things we noticed on a busy evening at the Skuna Stadium.

RONAN DARCY BABY!

Brimming with energy and with a haircut that would be the envy of any 1990s boy band, Ronan Darcy has clearly returned this summer with the bit between his teeth.

The midfielder has had a frustrating 12 months, existing on the fringe of the squad. And it has been difficult to see exactly where he fits into Ian Evatt’s system.

For the second time in as many games, however, he pushed hard right to the end of the game and grabbed a goal that his performance deserved.

Many Wanderers fans would love to see him realise his potential this season – and this has been a very good start.

GORDON’S ALIVE!

Liam Gordon has an excellent pre-season 12 months ago but struggled as a starter in League Two and was loaned back to his former club Dagenham and Redbridge. Now he is back, and once again looking sharp in the summer.

The young full-back looked full of confidence on the left flank in the second half, creating a goal for Nathan Delfouneso and getting around the back of a tiring home defence on a couple of occasions.

It is hard to see him pushing past Declan John for a first team spot but at 22, the Croydon-born defender could yet progress to the point that he can.

TRUE BRITT!

Wanderers’ best performance on the night probably didn’t come on the pitch – it was from chairman Sharon Brittan, who put in the extra yards by taking photos and chatting to nearly every person in the stadium.

From wizened fans with tales of Burnden days to three-week-old babies, she greeted the lot with a smile and made it a real night to remember.

HIGH STANDARD.

Such is the proximity to the crowd at the Skuna, there was nowhere particularly private for Ian Evatt to do his half-time team-talk to the players who turned out for the first 45 minutes. And such are the times we live in, video clips of what he said were soon doing the rounds.

Suffice it to say the Bolton boss wanted more from his players and was not about to write off the game as a fitness exercise.

We know Evatt demands a lot, both in possession and out, and hopefully we can see a faster start at FC United on Saturday.

RETURN OF THE FONZ!

Nathan Delfouneso has returned from the summer break looking leaner and meaner, following a good first half against Longridge with an even more impressive second against Atherton Colls. Two goals, finishing off archetypal Bolton Wanderers build-ups, and a constant threat up front where he filled in for the absent Eoin Doyle.

Plenty wondered if Delfouneso would be regarded as a first team starter this season after promotion but his early displays in pre-season are hugely encouraging.

WHERE THERE’S A WILL.

If there was a criticism of Bolton’s back line last season, it is that they rarely posed a big enough threat at attacking set pieces. Will Aimson’s early performances in a Bolton shirt suggest he could be one who bucks the trend.

We had seen him go close a couple of times against Longridge, and it was the same at Atherton, where he was denied a goal by some belligerent defending and goalkeeping.

The former Plymouth Argyle man has not had a huge amount of defending to do in his first two games but has still managed to make a positive impact.

PATIENCE IS KEY.

Wanderers struggled to break down Colls’ low block for more than an hour and that will give Ian Evatt some food for thought as he returns to the training ground this week to prepare for FC United.

Though some of the old pair ups – Isgrove/Jones, Dapo/John – managed to get around the outside on a few occasions, there was a sense that Bolton needed to mix up their approach a little through the middle in the first half in particular.

Josh Sheehan showed up well again, and George Thomason finished well to open the scoring, so it is hardly the stuff of sleepless nights. But Wanderers will have plenty of days this season where they have to wear down an opposition and move them around the pitch a little better than they did early on last night.