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Nathan Baxter hopes the scenes of joy at the final whistle in the away end at Leyton Orient on Saturday are just the start of a special season for Wanderers.
The goalkeeper led the cheerleading after playing a starring role in the 2-1 win, making crucial saves in both halves to keep Richie Wellens’ awkward O’s at bay.
A dozen weeks on from the play-off final defeat at Wembley, it was questioned what mental effect the result would have on Bolton as they launched another effort to return to the Championship.
And though the wounds are not yet fully healed, Baxter believes he and the team-mates who were involved back in May are channelling the emotion in a positive way.
“We are all human beings – when you watch Portsmouth playing away at Leeds and Oxford playing at Norwich, it does get to you,” he said. “Derby last night too, first game of the Championship season.
“We have got to move on from that now. We are in this division, it is very difficult as we know, and it will make what we achieve, when we achieve it, even sweeter.
“That would be the message the lads would give to the supporters. We have to give them a brilliant year this year and enjoy it as much as we can.
“Hopefully we can get the job done.”
Baxter made four top class saves at Leyton Orient, the last coming in added time at the end of the game as he tipped Charlie Kelman’s curling effort around his post at full stretch.
The former Chelsea keeper says the pain of the play-offs has fuelled his desire to come back stronger this time around.
“I worked really hard in the summer,” he said. “You sort of had two options after what happened, either go away and lose yourself a bit, and I went the other way.
“I’m in the best shape of my life, physically, my weight, body fat, leg strength is all the best it has ever been and I am working really hard. I have to thank Gillo for that because me and him do so much work on the grass and in the gym, he has been unbelievable helping me prepare in pre-season. The disappointment we had, he has picked me up, we have gone again.
“I have to thank him because when you feel so prepared for the start of the season, it comes from your goalie coach as well.”
Wanderers had not won at Leyton Orient since 1990 in the league, and tripped up there back in January at a time when automatic promotion was still very much in their own hands.
The depth of options on Ian Evatt’s bench proved the deciding factor, Victor Adeboyejo coming on to win the game alongside some sterling efforts from Klaidi Lolos, John McAtee, Jordi Osei-Tutu and Jay Matete.
“We did win plenty of games like that last season but it could be said ‘would we have won that game last season?’ I don’t know,” Baxter reasoned.
“I think that is the growth in the team. The lads on the bench came on and did well, which is where the club has grown. You look at the bench now and there are some serious players to come on.
“They came with a high press and we turned them. Last season I think we might have tried to play a bit more, I think we gave what they gave us. It was fluid at times but not in the whole 90. We won, that was the main thing.”
Another new arrival in the goalkeeping department is Luke Southwood, who has been first choice at Cheltenham Town for the last couple of seasons at this level and, like Baxter, also gained experience at Championship level with boyhood club Reading.
Southwood is likely to get his first start in the Carabao Cup against Mansfield Town on Tuesday night and is already well known to the Bolton number one.
“I have known Luke for years, we sort of had a friendship from afar and played a lot of youth team football against each other. We went to Scotland at the same time and played against each other in the Championship as well, so we have known each other for a long time. He’s a lovely fella,” he said.
“Last season I had a brilliant relationship with Joel Coleman, he pushed me and supported me when I really needed it. I can speak highly enough of what he did for me last season, and hopefully Luke will do the same for me, help me prepare for the games in the way I need to, and so far he has been spot on with that.
“It is great for the football club to bring in lads who are going to help improve the team.”
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