Bolton Wanderers boss impressed by his new loan signings

The Bolton boss introduced his new loan signings to the squad on Thursday before making the journey to south London after a training session the following day.

And after being struck by the pair’s knowledge of the system he was planning to play at Plough Lane, their encouraging debut came as no great surprise.

Blackett-Taylor scored the winning goal in the first half and Apter also had some clear-cut goalscoring chances – and Schumacher believes they will get even better in time.

“They didn’t have a lot of time with the group,” he told The Bolton News. “But what I noticed straight away was their game intelligence.

“We did a shape session and I spoke to them both on Thursday, then a little bit more on Friday, and Corey was asking questions: ‘What if the wing-back drops here? Do you need me to do this?’ And right away I could tell that they have an understanding of the game.

“I wasn’t worried that they wouldn’t know what to do (at Wimbledon) in a defensive aspect but they showed their quality in an attacking point of view, the pace an the power they have, so it was a really good debut for both of them.”

Schumacher was also pleased with the quality of the winning goal, which had started with a quick throw from keeper Jack Bonham to Kyle Dempsey.

“When teams like that are always sitting in low blocks against the zone, it makes it difficult for you to play through,” he said. “But if they have an attack, you've got to make the most of it. So, we did.

“It was a lovely pass from Macca (John McAtee) into Corey’s path and a calm and composed finish.”

The clean sheet at Wimbledon meant that Wanderers now match Stevenage for having the tightest defence in League One. Schumacher’s side has conceded 27 goals this season, a total bettered only by Walsall, Oldham Athletic (both 26) and Cambridge United (22) in the EFL.

Wanderers have also lost six games this season with only Cardiff City, Lincoln City, Cambridge (all five) and Bromley (four) losing fewer.