A SHOW of defiance amid all the frustration at Bolton Wanderers, this might only be a point won at Wycombe but it proved there is still plenty of fight left in this side.

There was little to please the purists at Adams Park. The highlights reel will last seconds, not minutes, but Ian Evatt’s side worked hard to take a point home and they deserved something from his heavyweight fight.

There was something of the Fury v Usyk here. Every punch landed was a big one. But having dug in and absorbed the best that Wycombe could muster, Bolton very nearly nicked it at the bitter end when George Thomason’s shot arrowed towards goal in stoppage time.

Wanderers made five changes to the side beaten by Wigan Athletic with Klaidi Lolos coming into midfield for his first league start of the season.

Ricardo Santos and George Johnston’s suspension left Evatt seriously short on centre-half options, so Will Forrester and Josh Dacres-Cogley were brought in to what looked from the off like a makeshift back three.

Aaron Collins also came in up front with John McAtee dropping to the bench and Randell Wiliams replaced the injured Jordi Osei-Tutu.

There was also a welcome return for Carlos Mendes Gomes on the bench, his last appearance having also been against Wigan back in February.

Had Evatt had the choice of his opponents in League One with such a threadbare defence, Wycombe would have been last on his list.

The league leaders are consistently awkward. If they are not winning free kicks, they are waiting to take them. And for the last half an hour of the first half they restricted Bolton to defending their penalty box with little going the other way.

The Whites had made a bright enough start. Collins’ running seemed to have Wycombe worried and after driving one powerful shot over the top he then seized on another quick ball forward from Josh Dacres-Cogley only to get his finish all wrong, side-footing tamely wide.

Williams got forward to flash a few crosses into the box but having warmed the cockles of their 770 travelling fans, Bolton spent the last 25 minutes of the half struggling to piece their passing game together.

It became a battle of territory. Defenders did not want to clear into areas where a long throw of a cross could be launched back over their head. Wycombe’s powerful front men were all chests and elbows but Forrester, Jones and Co did a manful job, particularly with some of the second balls which bounced with menace around the penalty box.

Was it good to watch? Well, no. But we have accused this side on plenty of occasions of having a soft centre, and given the huge changes to personnel, there was something encouraging from a good old-fashioned clean sheet performance.

Such are the circumstances at Bolton right now, a point away at Adams Park, however hard-fought, will not be universally appreciated. Wanderers did need to find a way of getting their attacking players in the game more, and though Adeboyejo and Collins had worked hard off the ball, they hadn’t made a dent for a while.

Pressure continued on the Bolton goal after the restart and while Wycombe had not created much in the first 45 minutes to worry Nathan Baxter, they were inching closer.

Fred Onyedinma flashed one shot wide and then chipped another one over the top after linking up with Richard Kone, with Wanderers’ defences starting to creak under the pressure.

Travelling fans did their utmost. Their backing was loud and constant. And so was the barrage.

Baxter had to make one excellent save to deny Kone at close range, Onyedinma having a follow-up blocked right in front of goal. The Bolton keeper also made a smart tip over the top from a Luke Leahy free-kick with 10 minutes to go.

Wanderers did have a short spell where the football clicked – Szabi Schon’s shot was deflected wide and Franco Ravizzoli pushed a bouncing effort from Jay Matete wide. But the clear-cut chance they needed never quite materialised, even after Evatt swapped his front two to bring on Charles and McAtee.

It was ugly and ungainly at times but the two sides continued to duke it out to the bitter end.

Williams was booked in stoppage time for using one of Wycombe’s own touchline towels against them. Imagine?

With the last ‘throw’ of the game, Williams launched a ball into the box which eventually dropped to Jones. He couldn’t get a proper connection but the clearance allowed Thomason to fire a shot through the legs. An inch either side and it could have been a famous winner.

But those who travelled appreciated the efforts, some of them significant. Dacres-Cogley, Forrester and Williams the stand-outs in what was a performance of character.