Wanderers maintained their spot in the play-off places following a 2-0 win against Exeter at the UniBol.

Conor Bradley and Dion Charles were both on target for the Whites during a dominant opening 45 minutes.

The visitors had a bit more joy after the break but failed to carve out many opportunities against a stubborn Bolton defence.

Bright start

Conceding the opening goal has been a problem for Wanderers in recent weeks, giving the opposition an early advantage on several occasions.

But Evatt’s men looked sharp from the first whistle against the Grecians and managed to get themselves in front after just eight minutes.

It was the first time they have scored the opener in a league fixture since the 2-0 victory against Lincoln on October 1.

The visitors were lucky to only be two goals behind at the break, with Charles hitting the woodwork twice and Bradley also missing a glorious chance.

Solid defence

Being without Ricardo Santos and Gethin Jones meant that Wanderers needed Eoin Toal and Will Aimson to step up, and that is exactly what they did.

Exeter struggled to carve out opportunities in the final third and were restricted to just two shots on target in total.

George Johnston was also impressive, finishing the game with the captain’s armband after Kieran Lee was taken off.

The trio of centre-backs had to deal with plenty of crosses, particular in the second half, but stood firm throughout.

Well placed Whites

It was an important three points for Wanderers, keeping them in fifth place heading into the busy Christmas period.

The Whites have a tricky run-in, with matches against Derby, Barnsley, Plymouth and Portsmouth coming up before the end of January.

But Evatt’s sides tend to be successful after the turn of the year, which has certainly been the case over the past couple of seasons.

Wanderers have ensured they are in the mix at this stage and will be hoping their January business can take them even higher up the table.

Home support

The club held its latest ‘Family Day’ against the Grecians, and it was great to see more than 19,000 home fans in attendance.

The aim of these events is to make live football more accessible to the local community through cheaper ticket prices.

Evatt has previously spoken about wanting to create a “cauldron of noise” at the UniBol to give his side a boost on the pitch.

The Whites are currently in the top five for average attendances in League One this season, and hopefully that trend will continue in the New Year.