OF the 35 competitive victories Wanderers have racked up in the past calendar year, perhaps their gutsiest was achieved against Exeter City.

Whilst November’s seven-goal romp at the Toughsheet Stadium is fresher in the memory – one of the rare occasions Bolton have recorded a scoreline that truly reflected the number of gilt-edged opportunities they regularly create – a less flashy occasion may well occupy the thoughts of Ian Evatt and his players as they travel south this weekend.

Five days on from the adrenaline and Champagne of Wembley last April, the Whites had to compose themselves once again for a Good Friday game against the Grecians.

Ricardo Santos and Eoin Toal had been ruled out with injuries sustained around the Trophy final against Plymouth and though the club was basking in a warm silverware glow, the reality was that they had not won a league game in their last four outings, extending to the end of February.

Still buoyant, Evatt’s side played confidently in the first half, taking the lead through Conor Bradley in the 27th minute, and what proved to be his final goal for the club.

As with most highs, there is an accompanying low. And after wasting a few good chances to extend the lead the Whites had to dig in under pressure during the second half to preserve a clean sheet.

“We were always going to start to fatigue after last weekend,” Evatt reflected after the game. “They toughed it out, they were gutsy. They showed fight, passion and determination. That was a fantastic result.”

Had Wanderers dropped points that day, questions would have surely been asked about the impact of the cup run. In the event, it proved the first of several tight, unspectacular, but hugely rewarding results which saw them all the way to the play-offs.

Fast forward 11 months and Bolton team bus makes the same 250-mile journey with its passengers once again in bubbly mood.

Randell Williams’ 98th minute equaliser at Barnsley capped off a stunning comeback, in what had always felt like a defining night in the promotion chase.

There were still 30 points to play for after Oakwell – and, of course, there still are – but defeat in midweek would have guaranteed a storm cloud which would have been very difficult to shift.

Evatt may argue he was due a bit of good fortune. So, when Josh Sheehan’s penalty was parried by Liam Roberts and wing-back Williams was first on the scene, it is nice to think that the moment could be the start of something special.

The Bolton boss needs no reminder, however, that today’s celebratory headlines are tomorrow’s chip fish and chip paper. And whilst the joyous social media clips and memes of the week have injected a welcome bit of levity into the promotion pressure, it doesn’t linger for long.

Can Wanderers once again channel their momentum after a big occasion towards a positive result?

Exeter have seemingly improved since being mown down four months ago at Bolton, looking every inch a team that had not won a league game in nine. At that stage, Gary Caldwell’s team looked certain relegation candidates but their form has picked up with Wycombe, Wigan, Barnsley and Peterborough among their scalps in the last few months.

Currently six points outside the relegation places, the Devon men have been dragged closer to trouble of late after taking just one draw from their four games.

They won’t lack motivation, given what happened to them back in November, but one would suggest upcoming fixtures against Shrewsbury, Burton, Port Vale, Cheltenham and Northampton will more accurately shape their fate.

The same could be said for the Whites, who host seventh-placed Oxford United in a televised game on Tuesday night before another date with destiny against Derby County. Reaching the international break with the ever-delicate Bolton ecosystem still feeling positive is the target, for now.

If Wanderers can produce more of the swashbuckling, sublime anarchy they inflicted on Barnsley during the final half-hour on Tuesday night then there are few – if any – teams around in League One who can stop them.

Evatt has often said that managing the lows will define whether his side is successful this season but on this occasion, how his players react after their Oakwell high will be just as telling.