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Former Wanderers man Kevin Nolan has backed Ian Evatt’s side to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth.
Conor Shaughnessy and Kusini Yengi were both on target in the final minutes of each half as Pompey went six points clear at the top of the League One table.
Dion Charles had earlier missed a golden opportunity with the scores level after Jon Dadi Bodvarsson’s header was saved by Will Norris.
“I think the (first) goal was absolutely massive for Portsmouth, just before half time,” Nolan told Sky Sports.
“They came out on the front foot and got after Bolton, and Bolton couldn’t handle the intensity they showed in the second half.
“Ian will go back and look at this, and he will be ready for Saturday’s game. There is no need to panic for Bolton.
“Calm heads are needed and I am sure with Ian at the helm, that is what it will be and they will bounce back from this.”
There was very little to separate the sides during the opening 45 minutes before Shaughnessy’s header.
“I think whoever looks back at this will be thinking about Bodvarsson,” Nolan continued. “Is he too far in (the box)?
“Also, Thomason. That’s your man, you can’t let him go. You can’t leave him, you have got to make sure you stick with him. It was too easy.
“That was so big because the first half was neck-and-neck. They would have gone in a 0-0 and you would have said the keepers and defences had come out on top.
“Pompey, as they have done on so many occasions, scored on the stroke of half time and they went in with their tails up.
“They came out, went after Bolton and disrupted their play. They deserved it in the second half with Yengi being a main part of that.”
Ex-Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley was also impressed with what he saw from his former club, labelling them an “efficient team”.
“They played man-to-man against Bolton, particularly in the second half,” the 45-year-old explained.
“They went up against them and suffocated Bolton and they couldn’t get out of their half. I know Bolton had the majority of the possession but it was all in their own half.
“The number of times Portsmouth turned Bolton over and I thought second half, they looked a really efficient team. They are out in front now, they have got a six-point lead.”
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