IAN Evatt appreciates a good boxing analogy, so if this hard-fought triumph was characterized as a football version of rope-a-dope, he would likely love the comparison.

Wanderers have seldom deviated from their possession-obsessed style, making Saturday lunchtime feel like a different team.

Forget control; Crawley were encouraged to approach in waves, pounding themselves to a halt without actually challenging Nathan Baxter’s goal, all in the hopes that the right ball or a well-timed error would send them tumbling back on their heels.

The strategy wasn’t without hazards. The freshly promoted Reds were game; they attacked in swarms, they were aggressive without ever being restrained by official Jacob Miles, and if they had broken through Bolton’s walls, the story may have been quite different.

But Kyle Dempsey’s early goal laid a firm framework, and when Wanderers chose to counter-punch, they were considerably more likely to create damage. Substitute John McAtee delivered the knockout punch 12 minutes later, a venomous drive followed by an acrobatic celebration in front of 1,000 traveling supporters who, at times, were perplexed by this unconventional method but loved the ultimate result anyway.

Manager Evatt has been repeatedly accused of lacking tactical flexibility, with his favored Pep Guardiola-influenced style increasingly being used as a rod to bash him over the head when mistakes are made on the field.

Even Sam Allardyce got in on the action a few weeks ago, dragging his old club’s loss to Huddersfield Town into the anti-‘Tippy Tappy’ football argument on his famous podcast.

Big Sam would have been quite pleased with this away effort. It brought back memories of Bolton’s ‘you have the ball, we’ll score the goals’ culture, which caused controversy in the Premier League.

This was Crawley. At this point last season, they were still one of the favorites for relegation from League Two, but under Scott Lindsey, they secured one of the most improbable promotions in recent memory.

This was also the week in which the Reds lost their manager to MK Dons, but any sense of vulnerability vanished early in the game as Dempsey hammered home Josh Sheehan’s corner kick and the home side regained control.

Wanderers went on with their strategy. Those of us watching from the sidelines questioned whether the Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal had harmed their confidence on the ball, but the approach was extremely planned. Crawley’s shape was allowed to open up as Bolton attempted to pinch the ball and hit fast through the uncovered holes.

Dion Charles rose to the challenge and twice came close to scoring, once being stopped by Jojo Wollacott and again by the toe of a defender’s boot, sending his left-footed shot inches wide.

Szabi Schon and other Wanderers players were unable to convert Josh Dacres-Cogley’s cross at the far post, while Dempsey’s shot hit the underside of the bar and crossed the line.

If Crawley’s efforts on goal appear to have gone unnoticed, it is because, despite their time on the ball and activity around the penalty box, there was almost no end result. A defense that had leaked like a sieve in recent weeks suddenly appeared strong once more, with centre-back Eoin Toal having his greatest game of the season so far.

Wanderers seemed to lose their way at the opening of the second half. The ball continued to keep away from Baxter’s goal, but after around 20 minutes, the home fans began to believe that anything was possible. Bolton fans, who were seated in a slim stand behind the goal, witnessed little action until McAtee and Aaron Collins were introduced from the bench.

Both strikers had caused Arsenal difficulties at the Emirates and quickly adjusted to the tempo of the game, demonstrating a bit more streetwise.

Referee Miles had been unpredictable, adding to a negative, uncomfortable environment on the cramped pitch. His unwillingness to crack down on Crawley’s off-the-ball antics or midfielder Jay Williams’ constant fouling was perplexing at times, and home supporters also complained about his assistants, who they thought were hesitant to raise the flag on a few counter-attacks.

More controversy was on the way, however, as Schon scampered on to a loose ball on the left, narrowly preventing it from going out of play. Home supporters yelled for the throw, but the Hungarian wing-back continued his run, passing to Collins, who then rolled another for McAtee to score a magnificent second.

It was hardly a game for purists, but rather an unglamorous occasion that had previously tripped Bolton. The play-offs would not have been necessary if they had earned a few more points despite not playing their best football last season.

The traveling fans appreciated the effort. Although Evatt and his team responded well, several observers in Sussex and on TV noticed that Ricardo Santos remained silent during the applause.

This was one of the centre-back’s best games of the season, and he almost finished it with a header that goalie Wollacott pushed over the crossbar.

Santos has recently faced criticism for his form, and his captaincy has been handed over to George Thomason. Criticism has sometimes gone too far, especially on social media, and one wonders whether this has left the great defender boiling.

It’s also left a fandom debating if a line was crossed.

Santos, like the manager, may need to work hard to bring his stock back to its prior high. However, there is no denying that he is respected.

Wanderers have taken cautious strides back towards normalcy in recent weeks, and it would be wonderful to see one of the club’s most important players smiling again in the shirt he is wearing.

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