Aaron Collins came back to haunt his former club as Wanderers showed character to secure a 2-0 victory at Bristol Rovers.

The Welshman, who left the Gas to head up North in January, built on his hat trick against Reading with another classy finish at his old stomping ground.

Substitute Aaron Morley also scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time as Ian Evatt’s men kept their promotion push alive, putting the pressure back on second-place Derby ahead of their trip to Wycombe on Wednesday night.

Evatt made one change to the side that beat Reading convincingly in front of a bumper crowd at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, with Nathan Baxter returning between the sticks and Joel Coleman dropping to the bench.

It was Baxter’s first appearance the 1-1 draw against Barnsley in early February after picking up a wrist injury.

West Brom loanee Caleb Taylor also returned to the bench following a spell on the sidelines but Dion Charles was not quite ready to make the squad.

The opening stages were cagey, with Wanderers seeing plenty of the ball but struggling to carve out opportunities in the final third.

George Thomason delivered a wicked cross into the box but Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was inches away from getting on the end of it.

The game started to open up as the half went on and Bodvarsson got himself into a dangerous position, but the Icelander could not quite get a shot away before the ball ended up in the arms of Jed Ward.

Baxter had largely been a spectator but was called into action five minutes before the break, tipping Luke Thomas’ strike wide of the near post.

Nat Ogbeta’s free kick almost went straight at the other end. It looked like a fine stop by Ward to tip the ball onto the roof of the net, but referee Carl Brook awarded a goal kick.

Baxter was again tested on the stroke of half time. Antony Evans’ strike was straight at the Bolton goalkeeper but hit with force.

The hosts started the second half brightly and Chris Martin thought he had broken the deadlock, but Baxter made a fine save low to his right before it crossed the line.

The experienced forward continued to cause the Bolton backline problems and was denied by another smart stop moments later, this time with an outstretched boot.

Wanderers were under pressure and needed a moment of magic, and that is exactly what they got. Thomason fizzed a pass into Bodvarsson, who let it ran for Collins and the Welshman provided a lovely finish to lift the ball over the onrushing Ward.

He has scored plenty of goals at the Memorial Stadium but this time it was the away end that burst into raptures.

Matt Taylor made a triple change in search of an equaliser, with John Marquis, Grant Ward and Lewis Gordon all joining the fray. Marquis was immediately involved as he looked to pounce on Josh Sheehan’s error, but Ogbeta got back to make an important challenge.

The hosts kept knocking on the door but Wanderers defended resiliently, throwing their bodies in the way of every shot on goal.

Hearts were in mouths when Ward was given too much space on the edge of the box, but his low drive crept just wide.

Morley secured the result at the death, keeping his cool to send Ward the wrong way from the penalty spot after Cameron Jerome had been tripped in the box.

Baxter, Toal, Santos, Iredale (Taylor 99), Dacres-Cogley, Sheehan (Morley 77), Thomason, Maghoma (Dempsey 67), Ogbeta (Williams 99), Collins (Jerome 77), Bodvarsson. Unused: Coleman, Forrester.