League One’s wolf in sheep’s clothing is at it again… And my, how Wanderers fell for the old routine.

On the face of it, Wycombe are a tidy club, managed by an immensely likeable chap in Lancastrian, Gareth Ainsworth, whose respectful and friendly welcome to Bolton in their darkest hour of 2019 won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

On the pitch, however, they are downright horrible. A brutish team which maximises their moderate playing assets with a playing style at the completely opposite end of the spectrum to the expansive stuff we have seen from Bolton of late.

But before this writer is accused of snobbery, let me say this: Wycombe’s way works. And as someone old enough to remember Wanderers being castigated in the Premier League for often foregoing the bells and whistles for footballing efficiency, it would be hypocritical to cast too many stones.

A beefed-up Bolton had shown some improvement in handling this short of direct, physical and high-energy kind of stuff. They had come prepared, and Cameron Jerome aside, picked their most imposing XI in the hope of containing the expected bombardment and then trying to gain their own foothold in the game.

For 20 minutes it worked well. Though they could never be described as comfortable, they did at least play some reasonable football of their own with Conor Bradley, restored to right wing-back after suspension, the chief outlet.

Gethin Jones hit the underside of the bar with a chance he should probably have buried, and Ricardo Santos also scooped a shot over Max Stryjek’s goal when a touch more composure was required.

Bradley had already felt the full might of Wycombe’s approach, chopped down in the first minute by a challenge from Jonathan Obita that might – might – have warranted more than a yellow card.

Shola Shoretire also began a running battle with Josh Scowen, whose close attention bordered on the severe. Clearly picked out as the man to stop, the Manchester United loanee was kicked, barged and shoved at every turn but with just enough nous to avoid a yellow card before the 89th minute.

That Bolton changed tack and started to allow themselves to be drawn into a street-fight was their own fault. Ian Evatt said later that his team had been “Wycombed” and judging by the reaction of several League One managers in the last few years, there is a good case to get that word in the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Slowly, the quality ebbed out of Bolton’s possession play. A head injury to Jack Grimmer which forced the defender off the pitch ensured a long period of stoppage time, during which Lewis Wing combined at a corner with Garath McCleary – so often the scourge of Bolton down the years – to strike a scorching shot past James Trafford at his near post. A rare moment of beauty in a beast of a match.

A hamstring injury meant Gethin Jones did not reappear for the second half, replaced by Declan John, and while Bolton may have lost a little physicality, they did gain a bit more attacking balance as a result.

Unfortunately, they now trailed, and very few sides in this division are more adept at strangling and choking a game than the Chairboys. Not a criticism, simply a fact of life at this level.

Wanderers will point to a couple of penalty shouts. Sub Cameron Jerome appeared to be barged in the back by David Wheeler as he climbed for a header, then moments later to have his shirt grabbed as he challenged for another ball in the box.

Shoretire also felt aggrieved that another robust challenge from Scowen was not punished. But one wonders whether the injustice distracted them from the overall aim of getting through this stubborn Wycombe defence and back on level terms?

Stryjek did not have many difficult saves to make. James Trafford at the other end, however, did pull off a few to deny Brandon Hanlan, Sam Vokes and sub Jordan Willis, reinforcing why the travelling fans would periodically sing that they wanted him to stay.

Bolton’s support was once again magnificent, and their reaction even at the final whistle showed that they appreciated the effort that had gone in, if not the end result. But Wanderers really must be more canny in games like this if they intend to escape this division. All the expansive football and 5-0 victories can be rendered moot if they allow themselves to be “Wycombed” too often.

Wednesday night’s opponents Accrington Stanley must be licking their lips in anticipation of the Papa Johns Trophy semi-final.

John Coleman’s side are cut from the same sort of cloth as Wycombe, and won’t care whether they appear on the pages of any coaching manual just so long as they can book a hotel at Wembley in April.

Bolton picked up injuries to Jones and Kyle Dempsey, who limped off after rolling his ankle trying to keep the ball in play. The midfielder was tailor-made for this type of game and his loss would be a considerable one.

On the upside, Elias Kachunga did impress with a second half cameo off the bench, going close with a spectacular overhead kick. With a handful of players cup-tied for Accrington, including Victor Adeboyejo, then there may be scope for him to step forward and be an unlikely hero at the Wham Stadium.

Without ramping up the pressure too much, there is a clear expectancy on Bolton’s shoulders as they go into this semi-final, and this was the type of result that can go one of two ways. It can either be a slap in the face to sharpen minds for a similar challenge, or the physical bruises can be accompanied by damage to ego too, and in that event, Wednesday night could be a much more challenging game than many are giving it credit for.