Schumacher Hails Bolton's 3-1 Victory at Wolves

Bolton Wanderers manager Steven Schumacher described his team's 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux as one of the standout nights of his tenure, praising his players for their attacking approach, composure under pressure and ability to secure three points against a strong Championship opponent.

According to Schumacher, the result was particularly significant because Bolton recorded consecutive away victories in the Championship for the first time since August 2018. He also celebrated with the team in front of 2,200 traveling supporters after goals from Atsuki Ito, Sam Dalby and Josh Sheehan secured the win.

Schumacher credited goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu with producing a decisive save against Adam Armstrong when the match was level at 1-1. The manager also highlighted the team's response after Wolves threatened to take control following Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's equalizer five minutes into the second half.

Assessing the overall performance, Schumacher said the demanding nature of the opposition required every Bolton player to perform at a high level.

"It was a really good performance and it needed to be because we're coming to a top team, a really difficult place to come, I think it's their first defeat at home this season. It needed everybody to play to the very best of their ability and the energy to be at the top level. I felt it wasn't quite at the top level on Saturday, we didn't perform as well as we could with certain individuals and as a team we could have done a little bit better.

But tonight we were excellent, no against a really good opponent. We had to defend at times, needed our goalkeeper to make a huge save at a key moment in the game, which is what you need at this level. But we did really well to score three goals away from home, it's super pleasing and to get three points is massive."

Schumacher said.

The victory followed a commitment to take the initiative against opponents rather than abandon Bolton's preferred passing approach. Schumacher believes that playing positively and moving the ball through the lines gives his squad its best opportunity to create chances.

"I've said all along, I think it's our best way. I feel as though the players enjoy doing that, it suits them to try and be positive and try and pass the ball through the lines and create opportunities. The move for Sam Iling-Junior's chance, he should have scored, but that is what they're capable of if they stick to the plan and are confident.

Now sometimes you'll make mistakes trying to play that way and lose the ball in dangerous areas, but it's the way I say, I feel as though it gives us our best chance of scoring and creating chances, so that's how we'll go about it." Schumacher said.

Schumacher pointed to Bolton's away performances as evidence that the approach has been effective. He acknowledged that the team had made mistakes in possession during the second half against Wolves but said the players remained composed after conceding.

"Our history this year away from home has been really good. All the performances have been actually okay away from home. We took the game to everybody and to have back-to-back away wins in a Championship is excellent.

Hopefully we can continue to do that and play with that confidence." Schumacher said.

The manager said Bellegarde's equalizer briefly increased the pressure on Bolton, particularly as the visitors gave the ball away in dangerous areas. He identified Bazunu's intervention against Armstrong as a pivotal moment before Bolton regained the lead.

"After we scored it kind of kicked them into life a bit and some of their really good players got going." Schumacher said.

He added that errors by Theo Bair and Sam Iling-Junior gave Wolves opportunities to threaten. However, Bolton gradually regained control through their passing game before producing the decisive goal.

"In the second half I think we gave the ball away in bad areas. I remember Theo (Bair) giving one away and Sam Iling-Junior giving one away. It sort of gave them a little bit of incentive and, as you say, we had to really defend.

They got themselves on level terms and it would have been easy for us to completely lose our heads and come away from the gameplan. But the lads never, they stayed nice and calm, stayed composed, gradually got ourselves back into the game a bit of a foothold by starting to pass the ball again. But then we needed Gavin Bazunu to make a huge save and it was one of the best saves I've seen live because against Adam Armstrong, who's probably the best finisher in the Championship, for him to produce that save at that moment was huge.

And then a few moments later we go down the other end and get ourselves in front from a really well-worked goal ourselves. It was a huge turning point." Schumacher said.

Sheehan's 30-yard strike extended Bolton's lead to 3-1 and capped an impressive individual display from the Wales international. Schumacher said the midfielder had maintained that level across 10 games and believed the Championship's style suited his technical strengths.

"He's been like that for 10 games. I think the level really suits him. There's more football players, there's less direct playing second balls, which obviously you get in League One.

Because he's a really good footballer and he sort of epitomises what I said at the very start, how we've got to play. For us to do well and we've got a player of him who's a full international, we might as well try and pass the ball. So he's doing really well and his goal was excellent."

Schumacher said.

The manager also compared Sheehan's long-range finish with a goal he scored away at Wigan last year. The strike gave Bolton a two-goal cushion heading into the final 10 minutes, reducing the challenge of protecting their advantage.

"It seemed to take an age to go in, but it went literally right in the top corner. Very similar position from when he scored away at Wigan last year. And give us that two-goal cushion that we probably really needed, because with only a one-goal advantage going into that last 10 minutes, it would have been even more difficult to see it out." Schumacher said.