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Wanderers are now seven games unbeaten after goals from Kieran Sadlier and Amadou Bakayoko settled an entertaining game at Whaddon Road.
Ian Evatt’s side deserved three points after two second half goals – Bakayoko’s coming from the penalty spot - but were forced to work hard in the final stages after Aaron Ramsey’s late effort.
Cheltenham’s lively front two of Tottenham loanee Kion Etete and Alfie May caused plenty of problems for Wanderers, especially in breezy conditions where defensive concentration was even more crucial.
Will Aimson and George Johnston did just enough to preserve the status quo to half time, although the latter had his goalkeeper James Trafford to thank for a superb one-handed save to deny May after he had raced on to a clever through-ball by Etete and left the Bolton defender on his backside.
Wanderers should have been a goal up midway through the half when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson picked Will Boyle pocket on the right side of the penalty box and pulled a cross back for Kieran Sadlier, who blasted his shot wastefully over the bar.
Once settled, Bolton played some decent football. Charles will wonder how nobody got a touch to his cross after linking up with Declan John on the left, and Dapo Afolayan also connected sweetly with a volley on the edge of the box but watched the ball whistle inches past the post.
Scott Flinders also made a smart save from Sadlier just before half time after Afolayan had made a surging run through the middle of the Robins defence.
Kyle Dempsey replaced MJ Williams at the break, after which Wanderers really started to find their rhythm.
Will Aimson headed just over the bar and John got into a wonderful position on the left side of the box but saw his shot at goal blocked well by Lewis Freestone.
Gethin Jones bombed forward to retrieve a ball from Sadlier, winning a corner in the process. And from the set piece, Bodvarsson’s quick feet at the far post allowed Sadlier to poke the ball home and send more than 1,300 travelling fans into raptures.
Things threatened to boil over when Afolayan clashed with Freestone directly in front of the fans moments later, with players from both sides squaring up.
Referee Neil Hair kept his cards in his pocket – and did the same when Freestone appeared to shove Afolayan into the advertising hoardings.
But the Bolton winger had the last laugh, tying Freestone in knots on the edge of the area and forcing the Robins defender to clumsily grab at his ankles.
Top scorer on 14 goals, Afolayan fancied extending his tally. But sub Bakayoko had got to the ball first and despite some heated debate, he didn’t relinquish control, sending Flinders the wrong way from the spot.
Cheltenham tried hard to get back into the game, Callum Wright driving a good cross which dipped just wide of the far post and Mattie Pollock – son of ex-Bolton player Jamie – heading straight at Trafford from a corner.
It all got a bit frantic towards the end, with the home side throwing everything forward in a dramatic attempt to grab something in stoppage time.
But Wanderers held out to preserve their undefeated run, and give their travelling fans another memorable day in the sunshine.
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