THE brave face put on by Ian Evatt and his players after a frustrating stalemate was understandable, yet every one of them knows it must be better than this.

Put bluntly, the majority of Wanderers’ squad looks spent after a punishing schedule of fixtures. And, of course, that gargantuan physical and mental effort has impacted on the form of some, who had shone so brightly earlier in the campaign.

Over 90 minutes at the Mazuma Stadium they struggled to compete with Morecambe’s physicality and energy, which for long spells seemed to fill every inch of the playing surface. Their passing game was disjointed and, at times, pedestrian, and though you can make some concessions for their part in energy-sapping battles at Wycombe, Accrington and Portsmouth over the past few weeks, the lack of invention was concerning, there is no getting around it.

But the good news for Bolton is that the final 10 games look straightforward in comparison, at least in their regularity, and if they are to produce a the ‘kick’ of an Olympic winner down the home straight then now is the time.

It should not be under-estimated just how much detail goes into Evatt’s planning for each game. And while he admitted Morecambe’s man-for-man press in the first half came as some surprise, the lack of time he has had with his players through February is starting to tell.

At their best, Wanderers allow their manager to sit back and admire. That tends to coincide with the times where Evatt has time to work with the squad on the training pitch. There are other times, however, when more decisions must be made on the fly and that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the Whites can often be found lacking.

Some call it ‘football intelligence’ – and with Kieran Lee rested on the bench, Bolton suffered for their inability to find the right space to play.

At every break in play Evatt screamed for one or more players to come over for a touchline conflab, pointing out where the space was available, the fact the hosts had made a brave decision to go man-for-man and leave big defender Farend Rawson one-on-one with Dion Charles, with a gaping chasm of room behind him. The right ball over the top was rarely found – and Bolton looked instead like they were trying to play direct to a pair of strikers well under six foot.

Shola Shoretire had a big chance early on, finding Conor Ripley in good form after being played through the middle by Eoin Toal. Wanderers also had a good shout for a penalty when Liam Gibson appeared to barge Declan John, but referee Oliver Langford did not agree.

Physically, there were mis-matches all over the field. Neither Josh Sheehan nor Aaron Morley had an easy time getting into the game, and Morecambe’s impressive energy reserves left little time on the ball. Some of the passing felt rushed, at other times too lackadaisical, and Bolton never found the sweet spot of tempo that could keep them on top in the game.

Last season’s ugliness at the Mazuma Stadium never reappeared. There was plenty mean-spirited banter between the two stands behind the goals – of course there was – but there was a general mood between both clubs that they wanted to move on.

To give the Shrimps credit, they played some reasonable football too. Ash Hunter, Dan Crowley and Jensen Weir got in regularly behind Declan John, and Cole Stockton ensured Ricardo Santos was busy the whole game through. Had Rawson – by far the home side’s most effective player – or Weir made more of two good headed chances in the first half, things could have been much worse for the Whites.

Wanderers finished the first half well and started strongly after the interval. Charles and Sheehan brought more good work out of Ripley, and there were spells where Bolton looked positively determined not to get a shot away as they passed in intricate circles around the penalty box.

Morecambe changed tack and decided a point would suffice, putting plenty of players behind the ball in the latter stages, at which point Evatt needed some guile to open things up.

Shoretire had to drop deeper to try and affect play but got swallowed up in a hectic midfield. Kyle Dempsey, playing the number 10 role, scrapped and battled, yet ultimately suffered the same inability to make a dent.

Evatt looked to the bench for inspiration – Elias Kachunga, Dan Nlundulu and Randell Williams all injecting a bit of pace and enthusiasm, just not enough to shift their now obstinate hosts.

By the end, Bolton were looking towards the long throws of Williams for some salvation, quite the departure from the norm, and evidence that the attacking ideas had started to dry up as the fatigue set in again.

Crucially, they did not allow that to creep into their defending, as they had a few days earlier at Portsmouth. That, whether some fans agree or not, was a step forward. Defeat would have been hugely damaging, and a point, given results elsewhere in the play-off pack, was not a disaster.

Thoughts now drift to Saturday, Ipswich Town at home, and next Friday, Sheffield Wednesday away, and two games that could really polarise the mood.

It is worthwhile reminding ourselves that Wanderers are still fourth, still very much in the play-off battle with 10 games to go, and with the promise of a Wembley trip to come. There are twists and turns to come, you can guarantee it.

Evatt cannot afford for belief to wane, especially within his own camp. This was not a vintage performance, nor an especially impressive result, but if we can look back in May as it being the start of an unbeaten run – nobody will care a jot.