STEVEN Schumacher saluted “streaky” striker Sam Dalby as his double helped Wanderers to a dramatic 3-2 win against Barnsley.
The 26-year-old moved to the top of Bolton’s scoring charts on nine for the season and also created a goal for John McAtee in an imperious first half against the Tykes.
Fans were left living on their nerves in the second half as Luca Connell and Adam Phillips gave the South Yorkshiremen an unlikely route back into the game.
But Wanderers held out to give Schumacher a fourth successive win for the first time since he arrived at the Toughsheet, setting things up for a crunch game at second-placed Lincoln City at the weekend.
“Strikers are streaky aren’t they,” smiled Schumacher, who had stuck with the side that beat Wimbledon. “That’s what happens when you are in a run of form, things come off for them. And I think you get that bounce of the ball when you work hard and you do the right things, which Sam does every day. He's a really good player.
“He gets on with his work, he's no fuss. And on the pitch, he's doing the business for us at the moment. He's a real threat and looks like a really good player.
“We want him to stay in that form for as long as we can.”
Dalby scored 15 times for Dundee United last season on loan from Wrexham and is well on course for double figures once again following his summer move to the Whites.
He has now started the last seven league games, scoring four times in his last three starts, but Schumacher is equally impressed with his link-up play.
“He is doing really well at the moment, and his all-round game was excellent again,” he said. “He is holding the ball up for us, bringing people into play.
“He scored two really good striker goals on the back post from a set-piece in the zone where he should be in. He looks like he's playing with confidence and we just want him to continue to do that.
“When he went through for the third goal I thought he was going to shoot but he's made the right decision to lay off to Macca (McAtee).
“That's what good players should do. It's not about being selfish, it's about getting the win. I’m delighted for him.”
Schumacher also made special mention of the atmosphere at the Toughsheet throughout the game, believing that it was a key factor in a thrilling first half performance.
“It was really positive,” he said. “And the way we played was in a positive manner, which is what we try and do every game.
“Some games it works for you and some games you have to be patient. But either way, whatever it looks like, if we've got that level of support like we did today, then this place can be a difficult place to come and play, for the opposition and not for us. So that was really good.”
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