It may be too late for Bolton to mount a positive challenge for the second automatic place alongside Sunderland who are already champions. However, successive victories over Bristol City and Ipswich in the space of four days suggests Colin Todd's charges are ready to do business with the play-offs looming.

So often a side running into form at this stage confirms a place in the end of season lottery with a belated surge and then goes on to clinch the last promotion berth.

A previous confidence-draining run of just one victory in 10 games suggested Bolton, favourites early season with Sunderland, had run out of steam. But Todd instigated a series of minor adjustments, notably securing Kevin Keegan's new England coach Derek Fazackerley to work alongside him and Phil Brown.

The narrow defeat in midweek of City was followed on Saturday by a more comprehensive success over Ipswich who, with Bradford City, are vying to go straight up. In the end, defeat in the Reebok Stadium did little to harm Town's chances as Bradford lost at home to Huddersfield and Ipswich manager George Burley, seeing his side beaten for the first time in 14 games, stressed: "We have proved our consistency and retain a good chance of taking second place."

Burley then nominated Bolton as his choice to win the play offs and, on the evidence of Saturday's performance, few would argue.

Bolton performed considerably better than of late in overcoming a splendid Ipswich side whose pass and move approach is easy on the eye although Burley complained: "We failed to take our chances."

Bolton showed the greater awareness in front of goal. Bob Taylor arrived beyond the far post to turn back an acute angle shot that went in off Richard Wright who could only parry Eidur Gudjohnson's shot following a powerful run.

Gudjohnson, who as a 17-year-old played alongside Brazilian star Ronaldo for PSV Eindhoven, scored the second and his fourth in four senior starts when taking a Ricardo Gardner pass in his stride to confirm Bolton's superiority.

Daily Telegraph