WANDERERS went into the new season questioning the quality of their forwards, but between them they scored 58 goals in all competitions – an impressive response.
Dion Charles, Victor Adeboyejo and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson scored double figures, while new signing Aaron Collins also scored nine goals after joining from Bristol Rovers in January.
Bolton scored more goals this season than ever before in a single season, but their inability to gain automatic promotion was highlighted by a series of key misses in big games that could have made the difference.
As we continue our spotlight on the Wanderers squad, we examine the forwards and what they contributed to last season.
Dion Charles again finished as top scorer at Wanderers, scoring twenty goals (Image: Camerasport)
DION CHARLES
He scored another 20 goals, despite a gaping three-month gap between his goals against Luton Town in the FA Cup and the penalty at Peterborough United.
John McGinlay was the last striker to play back-to-back 20s and the Scot has been a key background figure in Charles’ progression at Bolton over the past two-and-a-half seasons.
This year did not go smoothly. There were some high-profile misses, some stretches of barren form and no shortage of frustration for both. And the knee injury that kept him out for nine games after Wycombe proved costly.
Charles came up with the goods in the play-off semi-final at Barnsley and if there are questions about the mentality elsewhere in the camp, few would look such an accusation in his direction.
Pronunciation: A goalscorer, a difference maker and a thorough pain in the back for defenders. Can Wanderers keep him for another season? 8/10.
Dan Nlundulu fought back from hamstring surgery and played a few games at the end of the season (Image: Camerasport)
THEN NLUNDULU
Last season’s loan to Southampton had not convinced everyone, but Ian Evatt was convinced he could turn Nlundulu into a League One warrior and pay a six-figure fee to land him permanently.
The 25-year-old struggled with a fair amount of skepticism early on, and at times the pressure could be heard. However, he was launched in the defeat to Manchester United’s kids in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, and from there we saw more regular glimpses of promise as Bolton were really on the right track as a team.
Then, 10 minutes from the end of an ultimately unnecessary Bristol Street Motors Trophy match against Port Vale, he suffered a major hamstring tear, the severity of the injury etched into his face as he limped off the field.
He showed character to come back at all this season and played three more games as a substitute in April.
Pronunciation: A big test for Nlundulu, both to stay fit and to reward his manager’s confidence. It would be a rewarding story to see him get good. 5.5/10.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson has reached double figures for Wanderers this season (Image: Camerasport)
JON DADI BODVARSSON
For every high, two lows. No one would have become a more popular goalscoring hero in the latter stages of the season, but once again an ill-timed injury cost Bodvarsson the opportunity.
On the face of it, 46 appearances and ten goals is a reasonable return. Most of his early season football was played from the bench or in the cup competitions, but there was no denying the call from the terraces to see him more involved in the league setup.
The opportunities came at Portsmouth and at home against Bristol Rovers – both games ended in defeat – but just as Bodvarsson started to look a little more robust he was dropped to the bench again, with Adeboyejo getting a regular start.
That all changed a few months into the new year, when injuries reared their ugly head and Bodvarsson – refreshingly fit and confident after a late winner against Wycombe – took the starring role.
Unfortunately, a calf injury sustained in the 1-1 home draw against Portsmouth ended that guaranteed involvement and left him watching the build-in from the sidelines.
Pronunciation: It was a sad way to end for a class act at Bolton. Injuries always seemed to come at the worst possible times, but he will always be welcome. 6.5/10.
Cameron Jerome gets a lot of attention against Carlisle United (Image: Camerasport)
CAMERON JEROME
You would have had a good chance of Bolton fans singing fondly of the veteran striker going into the season, but it is to his great credit that he ultimately managed to gain respect for his work both on and off the pitch.
For most of his time at Wanderers, Jerome was more of a mentor to the younger strikers than someone who influenced matches, but that dynamic has changed in recent months as he increasingly becomes a trusted option.
Although only five of his 43 appearances in all competitions were starts, Jerome predicted goals would follow if he could get more minutes on the pitch.
And when injuries forced him to play a more prominent role, he obliged, scoring in each of the final three games of the season.
Verdict: Showed the value of experience and helped protect as many points as he earned. Hopefully he will get the chance to prove that elsewhere next season. 6/10.
Aaron Collins scored nine times in 15 games for Bolton after signing for Bristol Rovers (Image: Camerasport)
AARON Collins
The Welshman had no shortage of pressure on his shoulders when, as the reigning League One player of the year, he was signed for £750,000 on deadline day and was heralded as “worth the risk” in pursuit of automatic promotion.
A classy assist against Barnsley on his debut certainly helped, but there were an awkward few weeks as he settled into a new area, away from his family, and got used to a completely different style of play. At the end of February it seemed that another new Bolton recruit needed time to show his best side.
Almost as soon as injuries started piling up at Wanderers, Collins found his feet. A goal against Cambridge United, the first of nine in fifteen games before the end of the season, including a hat-trick in the 5-2 win against Reading.
More encouragingly, he showed he can play alongside a more physical striker – a la Bodvarsson or Jerome – and later with another goalscorer like Charles.
Pronunciation: While Ian Evatt looks to improve his work out of possession this summer, Collins has the kind of movement and penchant for the spectacular that has already made him a player of most interest. Very important, moving forward. 7.5/10.
Victor Adeboyejo celebrates with a ‘dart throw’ after his goal against Cheltenham (Image: Camerasport)
VICTOR ADEBOYEJO
He came into the season with a point to prove, with his £500,000 move from Burton Albion the previous January not to everyone’s satisfaction. And from late summer to fall, Adeboyejo seemed to win over some of those doubters.
A hat-trick against Fleetwood certainly helped, but his partnership with Dion Charles looked as solid as anything Ian Evatt had at his disposal, and the Nigerian looked to settle into a number nine position that was still relatively new to him.
His tenth and final goal of the campaign sparked a memorable comeback for his former club Barnsley, before disaster struck. Five minutes into the next match in Exeter, Adeboyejo retired with a hamstring injury and limped off the field.
Three months later he returned as a substitute in both the play-off semi-finals and the final itself, but it was asking a lot to expect him to kick into life straight away.
As such, Adeboyejo finds himself in a similar position again, fighting to prove he can be Bolton’s reliable number nine.
Pronunciation: Definitely showed more of what he has to offer Wanderers and 10 goals was a decent return. Can he now pick up where he left off? 6.5/10.