Victories have rarely been uglier for Ian Evatt’s Wanderers but the three points that brought them level with the automatic promotion places felt none the less rewarding. 

Nearly everything the Whites did on a chilly Shropshire night was scrappy. Until stoppage time, the goal that looked like being the winner from Paris Maghoma had more than a whiff of good fortune about it. 

But the second, which ended any chance of a Shrewsbury comeback deep into stoppage time, was a comparative work of art – Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Dan Nlundulu combining for Aaron Morley to sweep home in front of a jubilant away stand. 

Wanderers made one change to the side that had beaten Charlton Athletic in their last league game, swapping Paris Maghoma for Aaron Morley in midfield. 

Shrewsbury had scored a paltry seven goals in the league all season and had named four different centre halves, which didn’t exactly scream attacking intention. But they made a strong start and could have gone ahead after only a few minutes when Joe Anderson’s raking ball picked out Tom Bayliss over the top and he exchanged passes with Daniel Udoh before Ricardo Santos got a crucial block on his shot. 

Wanderers gained a measure of calm, and Chey Dunkley had to hook a fine cross from Maghoma over his own crossbar with Dion Charles waiting to pounce. But it became instantly clear that the Whites would have to work to find space on a tight pitch, and that their passing game could not afford to be lethargic. 

Fireworks popped in the skies about the Croud Meadow but there was little spark on the pitch until Paris Maghoma punctured a hole in the home defence, releasing George Thomason on the left edge of the box. He cut a decent ball back for Victor Adeboyejo, giving him a first clear look of the goal, but his shot was wasteful. 

It was a similar case for Jordan Shipley at the other end as Anderson and Udoh combined to give him a shooting chance, dragged well wide of Nathan Baxter’s right-hand post. 

The tactical battle continued, but with the exception of Maghoma, Bolton looked low on ideas in midfield, where Josh Sheehan was struggling to get possession in areas that counted, and Thomason’s passing radar was wayward. 

More entertaining than any of the football was the uncertainty on whether a stand full of Bolton supporters were going to join in with the half-time Mexican wave for Children in Need. 

“We’ll do what we want!” they chanted to the pitch-side announcer, struggling badly to sell the idea to a half-frozen stadium, even when flanked by Pudsey the Bear. 

Shrewsbury started once again on the front foot, with Tom Bayliss briefly getting the wrong side of Gethin Jones and Santos getting back well to ensure Udoh did not get a shot away on the edge of the box. 

That proved to be Jones’s last action, and he walked off uncomfortably to be replaced by Will Forrester – who not 30 seconds later had curled a left-footed shot just wide in front of the Wanderers fans. 

Shrewsbury had not conceded a home goal in the league since September 16, and you could see why. Compact, uncompromising, what they lacked in attacking ideas they made up for in organisation. 

It looked like the kind of game where only a mistake would open things up – and so it transpired on 66 minutes as Maghoma found a yard on the edge of the box and drilled a shot that was fumbled by Marosi, the ball spinning into the net, chased by Thomason and Adeboyejo. 

Charles should have made the game safe after dashing through the middle on to Sheehan’s ball. Defender Flanagan did well to get a toe on the ball to put him off initially, but having got past the sprawling Marosi, the striker could only find the side netting with his shot. 

Shrewsbury were forced to sub their keeper after that – and Marosi’s replacement was quickly into the drama, denying Dan Nlundulu on the goal-line in a frantic scramble right in front of the travelling supporters. 

The game had opened up but having missed a couple of decent chances to make the points completely safe, the final 10 minutes were more nervy than they should have been. 

The Shrews went route one after that, doing everything they could to hussle an equaliser. But Bolton – learning from last season’s collapse – held firm. 

Morley’s third goal of the season was superbly taken, and equally well created by two substitutes who deserve some credit for injecting life into a game that rarely sparkled.