Amadou Bakayoko led the line very well in Bolton Wanderers' 2-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra on Friday evening.

The former Coventry City man has big shoes to fill in replacing Eoin Doyle up top for the Trotters, but he is making a good fist of it and played a key role in Wanderers getting back to winning ways at The UniBol.

Ian Evatt's men had lost four of their last five in the league without troubling the scorers and Doyle's inconsistent finishing was a contributing factor in the club falling away from the top six. Bakayoko, along with fellow versatile forward Elias Kachunga, was a free agent this summer after being let go by the Sky Blues but is adapting well to life at Bolton using his third tier experience effectively.

Evatt explained that the 25-year-old is only just getting up to full fitness when he spoke to The Bolton News.

Evatt said: "We’ve not had him in one piece for a while.

"If you ask him, he is still not where he wants to be, and where he was earlier on in the season, but he’s suffered two injuries and we’re having to rebuild him again. His work ethic is first class. His fitness levels, considering how much he’s missed is very good and I’m delighted to get the goal."

Bolton have quite a small squad that may be addressed in January, so it is important for Bakayoko to kick on in the coming months to ensure he remains at the forefront of Evatt's plans.

The Verdict

Bakayoko has always been a handful at League One level, be it for Walsall, Coventry or Bolton and his all-round contribution in attacking areas could take the Trotters a long way this campaign. Doyle missed out on the matchday squad on Friday evening, despite scoring in the club's previous two and therefore Bakayoko may receive an extended run leading the line as Bolton look to close the gap between themselves and the top six.

Josh Sheehan getting back amongst the goals was also crucial against Crewe, Bolton can finally look up again after a very disappointing month of October.