THERE was a little bit of something for everyone to take from this hard-fought win, which sets them up nicely for a pair of home games before the international break.

If swaggering possession football floats your boat, then marvel at the first half – Josh Sheehan and Aaron Morley at their creative best, Josh Dacres-Cogley and Randell Williams cutting swathes down either flank, Dion Charles and Dan Nlundulu leaving home defenders begging for the half-time whistle.

If you prefer the more meat-and-two-veg approach, then the gritty stubbornness shown to protect the penalty box in the second half will have warmed the cockles on a grim old day in the Potteries – Eoin Toal throwing himself into blocks on the edge of his own box, Will Forrester proving unbeatable on his return to Vale Park and Nathan Baxter showing that there are levels to this goalkeeping malarkey.

Regardless of which morsels you picked from the footballing smorgasbord presented by Ian Evatt’s patched-up team, it was difficult to drive back up the M6 feeling anything other than satisfied with a job well done.

Missing several players through injury and suspension who would most likely have featured against Vale, the result felt all the more rewarding. While the debate will continue as to whether Wanderers left themselves short-changed in the transfer window, there has been no sign that Evatt and his squad are feeling sorry for themselves, quite the opposite, in fact.

Kyle Dempsey and Dion Charles are playing through injuries that might ordinarily need rest, and the likes of Forrester, Dan Nlundulu, even Aaron Morley, are looking to make the most of their time in the spotlight, ensuring that when the cavalry do arrive in a couple of weeks, they do not necessarily waltz straight back into the starting line-up.

Whilst true, Wanderers are running the tank down to empty each game at present, it has been tremendously encouraging to see the increasingly influential role now being played by the supporters, who last week against Peterborough responded to keep 10-men afloat, and at Vale prevented any sort of second-half collapse.

If we are to be picky – and, let’s face it, that is the Bolton way – then the result should really have been beyond doubt by the time Andy Crosby had any chance to alter his tactics at the break.

Vale’s refusal to engage in the Wanderers half was downright comical at times, with Toal often able to stand completely still and unopposed in the centre circle whilst trying to pick out a pass.

A pair of good chances fell to Charles, Conor Ripley made a smart save to push away a blast from Morley and with Dacres-Cogley and Williams tearing strips off their markers, Evatt will feel more of the dangerous crosses they produced from the wide areas should have been punished.

Sheehan was in irrepressible mood, and with Morley back in the side for a league game for the first time since August, there seemed ample ammunition to rack up a healthy lead. The opening goal did not arrive until the 43rd minute, though, as Charles turned 40 yards from goal and skipped through a gap left by defender Lewis Cass’s slip before drilling a shot into the bottom corner on his weaker side.

The Whites had that crucial lead, surely Vale would open up and offer more gaps to exploit? Well, not quite.

Vale nearly got themselves back on level terms immediately, Baxter making an instinctive block from Ben Garrity to bring the away stand to its feet in applause.

Home boss Crosby swapped a few things around after the half time interval, and as the rain lashed down even harder from the grey skies above, we finally saw why Vale had made such an encouraging start to the season.

Referee Declan Bourne played his part in a fascinating second half that rarely seemed to pause. He had played a good advantage early in the build-up to Bolton’s goal and rejected the temptation to blow his whistle for every bit of physical contact. The net result was 45 minutes of scrappy football which made you feel slightly nostalgic.

Success in the second half wasn’t measured in passes, final third entries or possession percentages, it boiled down to protecting a penalty box at all costs.

Vale piled 28 crosses into the Bolton boss in 45 minutes but barring one header from Kofi Balmer which dribbled just wide, Nathan Baxter’s goal remained well guarded.

Another bonus was the impact of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Cameron Jerome from the bench during the final quarter.

Evatt’s options were slim in the extreme but he sent on two of his most experienced men in the hope they could take some of the sting out of Vale’s bombardment, hold the ball up in areas where no damage can be done. Both chipped in with some important work at the back, too, Jerome’s 95th minute header to clear a dangerous free kick celebrated almost as exuberantly as Charles’s goal in the first half.

Back in 2017 Bolton got out of this division because they were able to mix up their approach. They did not often get praised for the quality of their football under Phil Parkinson – unfairly, so, in fact – but they consistently showed themselves adept at defending a clean sheet, digging in to protect a lead. Their character as a group was completely beyond doubt.

Evatt has praised the mentality in his current dressing room, stating it is the strongest since he joined the club three-and-a-half years ago. They will need to mix and match if automatic promotion is the aim and we might yet look back at this drizzly day in Burslem as one of some distinction.