Capping off a week of hard work on the training ground, Steven Schumacher’s side knew they were in for a difficult night against a team much further down the fitness road.
They trailed 2-0 at the break, having conceded a sloppy opening goal and not really making the most of their possession on the break.
Wholesale changes at half time led to a much brighter showing and Ruben Rodrigues was able to pick up where he left off at Wembley, bagging himself a goal from Cyrus Christie’s cross.
Around 300 Wanderers fans made the trip, and in the first half they got a first look at new signings Luca Stephenson and Akin Famewo.
Richard Taylor started alongside Lewis Temple at centre-half, the former St Mirren man trying hard to get back into Bolton’s good books after a poor first season. Schumacher had praised him for returning to the training ground in his best physical shape yet but a mistake early on gifted an opening goal to George Gagua, doing his chances of an unlikely salvation act no good whatsoever.
DAC were playing their sixth game of the summer and will soon kick-off their regular season, so the difference in fitness and sharpness was only to be expected.
And though Joel Randall – another Wanderer looking for a change of fortune – did pick up some good pockets of space in the early exchanges, the hosts always looked more dangerous when they had the ball.
A second goal arrived just before half time when the dangerous Ammar Ramadan combined with full-back Tsoline Kapanadze, who buried a low shot in the bottom corner from the right side of the penalty box.
Bolton’s best chance came right before the break when Kapanadze got back on the line to block Josh Sheehan’s shot.
Wanderers swapped all 11 of their players at half time and the second-half squad fared a little better. Kyliane Dong slashed at a shot from close range after Toby Ritchie had another effort blocked close to goal.
Marcus Forss – theoretically a trialist, given he is out of contract – looked in decent nick as he played centrally in attack, playing his first game since tearing his hamstring in January.
Scottish midfielder David Watson was another player who showed up well in his first appearance, and the former Kilmarnock man was involved in Bolton’s consolation goal 14 minutes from the end, exchanging passes with Cyrus Christie before Rodrigues was able to blast his shot into the roof of the net.