Striker Sam Dalby bagged a second-half double and earned manager Steven Schumacher’s gratitude after Bolton snatched a last-gasp 2-1 League One victory over Burton.
Dalby put the Trotters into a 50th-minute lead and hit a stoppage-time winner – his seventh goal of the campaign – after Jack Armer had equalised for Albion.
“I praised Sam last weekend because his work rate was outstanding,” said Trotters chief Schumacher.
“He has been a good focal point for us in the last few games.
“He has come into his own and shown how good a player he is. I said to him, ‘if you keep working as hard as you are, you will get your goals’.
“He was excellent again, led the line well, brought people into play and what he did that matters the most, is he gets in the right area and taps it in twice.
“Any good team needs a good striker and Sam has shown lately he is that. Plus, he is one of the best lads I have ever worked with.”
“For any team to be successful you mustn’t know when you are beaten. It says something if you do it that often,” he said of Bolton’s latest stoppage-time success.
“To take 10 points out of the last four games is very pleasing.”
Dalby initially pounced after John McAtee’s shot hit an upright and when Bradley Collins could not hold Jordi Osei-Tutu’s effort the former Dundee United and Wrexham forward was in the right place once more.
For struggling Burton, it was a second successive 2-1 defeat, prompting manager Gary Bowyer to claim: “It’s getting boring because we are not learning.
“We came here against a good team, brilliantly coached. Their movement causes problems but we stuck at it.
“But we have got to question the desire, wanting to win. How badly do you want to win a game of football?
“How much are you going to hurt yourself to win a game of football? I don’t think Bolton had brilliant opportunities to score.
“But the two times they have gone anywhere near came from our mistakes. And so it is frustrating and boring, like I say.
“There will be changes Saturday because we can’t keep accepting what we have been witnessing.
“We have to have the standard and mentality of Bolton to win games.”
