IT is a dangerous game to predict anything in these parts, but it is certainly tempting to suggest the stormiest seas are now behind the Good Ship Wanderers.

Said vessel has been drifting dangerously close to the rocks in the last few months, with its captain, Ian Evatt, dodging debris from all directions.

But Saturday’s win against Ipswich, earned by a performance as professional and organised as you like, felt like a break into calmer waters. And perhaps now the real voyage can begin?

Regardless of mitigating circumstances – injuries, Covid – a run of two wins in 13 games was always going to stir up frustration and leave both the manager and his players open to criticism from an expectant fanbase.

Evatt’s own confrontational style has arguably irked some supporters beyond the norm. And it is entirely fair to say his bold, brash statements have – at times – looked out of sorts with the declining condition his team was in.

But there is also something to admire about the manager’s steadfast belief that his team would improve its form in January, once injured players became available and signings could be made. And given the narrative of his first season at Bolton, who is to say the same cannot happen again?

Promotion this time around is surely a stretch for even the most optimistic among us, yet who can deny that this victory mapped out a course towards something more positive?

And is it any surprise that the most composed defensive performance of the campaign coincided with the return of one of Evatt’s real unsung heroes?

There are more dynamic players, those with flashier skills or more dominant physiques than Gethin Jones, but nobody in that squad exudes the same level of sheer reliability. Being without him on the pitch for the last three months has affected Bolton more than anyone was prepared to admit, as he possesses another rare quality, the ability to make those around him play better.

It has been often posed to Evatt in his time at Bolton that he stuck too rigidly to a playing style or a formation, many reaching for that loathed footballing cliché about a ‘lack of Plan B’. His response – one which did antagonise his critics - was often to suggest that he didn’t need one if Plan A was doing the job.

On Saturday he brought Jones back into a side which had moved away from its regular 4-3-3 formation to a 5-3-2, with Jones able to link up with the athletic Marlon Fossey as the right-sided centre-back, and also add a steadying influence alongside Ricardo Santos, who had himself suffered with inconsistency of late.

Santos would have his most convincing 90 minutes of the League One season to date, back to his dominant best and picking out Wanderers’ wide men with deadly accuracy.

If this was Plan B, it was working well.

The signing of 19-year-old James Trafford from Manchester City on loan had also raised eyebrows among supporters, who questioned whether he had the necessary experience for the cut and thrust of League One. During the first 10 minutes there was a clear culture clash, as some of the passes he attempted were more Brand Guardiola than Bolton.

Evatt shouted instruction from the side-lines and things quickly improved. Trafford looked confident, vocal, and made a couple of saves from Lee Evans and Sone Aluko which will have won over some of the doubters in the terraces.

With Dion Charles and Amadou Bakayoko up top, Wanderers also had the option of playing the ball long, when the circumstances required it.

Recently, Evatt’s side has overplayed, been too lateral, and this added to the frustration. This was a much more effective blend of patient possession football, and something with a bit more bite.

After a slightly nervy start, Bolton grew into the game. Aaron Morley, making his debut, looks like a player who will thrive on the ball. Not everything he tried came off, but since Josh Sheehan’s injury there has been a clear creative deficiency, and he might just be the man to fill it.

Wanderers created a few decent opportunities in the first half, the best of which fell to Charles after some fine work on the left by Declan John. His angled shot was parried well by Christian Walton – but the fact Bolton had moved the ball so quickly from front to back felt like a refreshing change.

Into the second half, Ipswich started to get more territorial advantage. They failed to convert the pressure into meaningful chances but that was, in part, down to some belligerent and organised defending.

On 19 different occasions this season Wanderers have conceded the first goal – and so often they have been left reflecting on playing well but getting nothing. This time they dealt with the pressure and then took their opportunity to seize the lead.

The opening goal was well worked, the ball moved swiftly through midfield before Morley lashed a shot, blocked by Walton, then mopped up by Lee.

Evatt had made another big call by dropping Dapo Afolayan to the bench for the first time in a league game this season. There had been huge pressure on the former West Ham winger to get Wanderers out of their current funk, and his performances had suffered as a result. Entering the game with 20 minutes to go as a central striker alongside Bakayoko, he produced exactly the right response.

Leaping on a poor back-pass from George Edmundson, Afolayan slotted the ball under Walton to seal the points. He raced over to celebrate his 10th goal of the season with the dugout, the relief visible on his face.

It was the same at the final whistle as Evatt and his coaching staff walked on to the pitch, embraced the players and took the deserved accolades from the crowd.

Bolton has been a tough place to play football in the last couple of months but this was much more like it.

If Evatt and Wanderers 2.0 can continue in this vein, then the next stage of the journey should be well worth watching.