Wanderers' own Wizard of Oz produced just enough magic against Stevenage to give his side three precious points and put them back within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots.

Jack Iredale had a night to remember with a goal, an assist and a few stand-out moments in defence on a topsy-turvy night where the final outcome was in doubt right to the bitter end.

Plucky Stevenage twice fought back to level after Dion Charles had scored from the spot and Iredale volleyed home a Josh Sheehan corner.

The former Cambridge United man then created a brilliantly taken winner for Josh Sheehan, which turned out to the be the winner 20 minutes from the end.

It was a moment of class in a game of precious little quality – but for the second time this week Evatt’s team has shown they have the stomach for a scrap. And they won’t come across many scrappier than Steve Evans’s boys.

Wanderers made one change from the side that beat Port Vale at the weekend, bringing George Thomason back into midfield after a one-game suspension and dropping Aaron Morley to the bench.

Evatt expected a scrappy encounter against League One’s most direct foes, and he most certainly got one.

As pitch-side announcer Phil Heys battled bravely with a patchy mic in a well-observed tribute to former Wanderer Franny Lee before the game, so Wanderers looked patchy and fragmented in an ugly first 45 minutes.

It seemed somewhat fitting that the opening goal came from the penalty spot, Lee having been a master from 12 yards in his Burnden Park days. Its award on 12 minutes was unquestionable, as Dan Butler scythed down Jack Iredale from a corner, and the result inevitable, as Charles tucked in his eighth of the season.

That should have opened the game up a little but Stevenage’s recovery was impressive and Aaron Pressley nudged a shot against the outside of the post just a couple of minutes later.

Reid did bring them level when a one-two between Kyle Dempsey and Dan Nlundulu broke down on the edge of the box and a long punt allowed Reid to steal a march on Eoin Toal before sliding his shot past Nathan Baxter.

Whether the Stevenage striker should have been pulled up for handball is debatable – but it was certainly not the last time that Bolton felt aggrieved in the half.

The visitors’ front two lived right on the edge of offside for the whole half, each punt forward met with an appeal from the home crowd.

Wanderers allowed their frustrations to boil over, at times. Thomason picked up the eighth yellow card of his campaign, Iredale also went in Josh Smith’s book, going mighty close to a second just before half time as he tangled with Reid - something which would have seriously affected the narrative of this game.

Stevenage’s dark arts went largely unpunished but the longer the half went on, the more it felt as though they were being dragged away from their gameplan and into a street-fight.

Defensively, the distribution had been cumbersome, a few playing were walking a real tightrope with the referee, and Nlundulu was struggling to hold up the ball in the same way he had managed at Port Vale.

In truth, it was somewhat of a surprise to see Evatt decline to make changes at the break. But the decision was rewarded quite quickly as Bolton restored their lead after a strong start. Sheehan’s well-flighted corner found another clever run from Iredale, and the Australian powered home his second goal of the season.

Having got the upper hand again, Wanderers looked to hold control of the game and did so for around 10 minutes. But fortunes were thrown up in the air once again just after the hour mark when Cameron Jerome replaced Nlundulu.

The veteran striker conceded a free kick 30 yards from goal and after getting back to defend, collided with defender Piergianni to leave ref Smith with no option but to point to the spot.

Reid did the honours from the same spot as Charles, but Piergianni spent the next five minutes having a facial cut seen to by medics on the side-lines. Bolton were suddenly back to square one.

Iredale had already won a penalty and produced an inch-perfect header – and the Australian’s night got even better on 70 minutes as he hit a classy 50-yard ball to Sheehan, running through the middle of the Stevenage defence. Not to be outdone, the midfielder brought it down effortlessly, and in one fluid motion swept the ball into the back of the net to restore the lead.

Dempsey went close to making it four as he chased on to a clever ball around the corner from Charles but Stevenage simply refused to lie down – and after Iredale had produced another important moment with a fine clearance ahead of Pressley, Baxter made a stunning reflex save to push away a stinging shot from Jake Forster-Caskey.

Reid should have had a hat-trick too, driving a shot wide after being picked out by Forster-Caskey’s chipped pass.

Evatt changed what he could, throwing on Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Zac Ashworth, as he had done at Vale, and as the minutes ticked down there was the same sense of urgency around the penalty box to repel the relentless march of set pieces and crosses.

Reid briefly got the wrong side of Iredale after eight minutes of added time had been indicated by the fourth official – but the defender once again came up with an answer, making a sprawling challenge in front of his own goal.

Jerome and Bodvarsson eventually calmed things down, holding on to the ball for long enough to ensure the final few minutes were seen out in relative comfort.

The battered and bruised Wanderers now have one final test to pass before the international break as Carlisle United come to town on Saturday. Can they muster another response?