WANDERERS produced a wholehearted performance at league leaders Rotherham United – but it wasn’t enough to prevent defeat on their return to competitive action.

Michael Smith scored in both halves for the Millers as they returned to the top of the League One table.

But a patched-up Bolton side, ravaged by Covid during December and without a game in three weeks, gave just as good as they got, with Eoin Doyle netting an equaliser just before half time.

Wanderers’ line-up was missing the likes of Kieran Lee and MJ Wiliams with Evatt making three changes in all to the side that last played at Accrington.

Rotherham exerted plenty of first-half pressure, peppering the Bolton box with the obligatory array of crosses and set pieces.

But the Whites held their own – Ricardo Santos, Adam Senior and George Thomason all making important blocks in the opening exchanges to get a rowdy away following well and truly on their side.

Rotherham started to become looser in possession as the half wore on, giving Wanderers some encouragement to get themselves into the game.

Eoin Doyle stabbed a shot wide after good work from Elias Kachunga on the right and Ian Evatt was left raging after a foul was not given on Dapo Afolayan en route to goal.

The Bolton boss was booked by referee Geoff Eltringham and then given a final warning after reacting to a foul given against Declan John a few moments later.

The defensive resolve was broken on 39 minutes when Michael Smith headed home Shane Ferguson’s cross from close range – although, again, Wanderers protested that a foul was missed on Will Aimson in the melee.

Rather than mope, however, the Whites hit straight back. Eoin Doyle drove in his eighth goal of the season after Afolayan worked the ball to George Johnston from the left and he picked out the Irishman in space 10 yards out.

Bolton may have grabbed a second. Thomason’s low drive brought a save out of Viktor Johansson but they will have been more than happy with their afternoon’s work as they jogged back down the tunnel to warm applause at half time.

Wanderers knew they would come under more pressure as their energy levels sapped, and so it transpired.

There were rare moments in attack – Kachunga driving one effort just over the bar and the excellent Thomason testing Johansson again.

But the majority of the pressure came from Rotherham and after Dixon had made two superb close-range saves to deny Freddie Ladapo and Rarmani Edmondson-Green, their defences were finally punctured.

Again it was the towering Smith who headed home, this time from a right-wing cross by sub Josh Kayode.

Wanderers threw everything forward at the end in an effort to equalise once more with chances falling to Harry Brockbank and then – with the last kick of the game – Afolayan, who volleyed over from close range.

But whereas something felt like it was missing in previous defeats at Accrington and Fleetwood, travelling supporters could at least take solace from the heart their side showed at the New York Stadium.