Steven Schumacher believes Bolton still have the ability to be in the mix and challenge for the play-offs due to their form and the way they play the game after his Plymouth Argyle side's victory over Wanderers.
Wanderers went behind just before half-time after Macaulay Gillesphey headed home from Jordan Houghton's corner.
The hosts switched to a back four early in the second half and Wanderers looked much better for it.
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Dion Charles saw a header saved by Michael Cooper, while substitute Elias Kachunga was unable to convert a golden chance to equalise as Wanderers were unable to get back into the clash and slipped to a 1-0 loss at the University of Bolton Stadium.
The result has left Wanderers 10 points from the play-off places and means they are now perhaps firm outsiders for the top six this season.
Plymouth meanwhile keep pace with others in the race for the play-offs and sit sixth in the table with games in hand over their direct rivals in the standings.
Pilgrims boss Schumacher believes his side can take a huge amount of confidence from the victory and that with the form Wanderers have been in of late allied to their playing style that they would be expected to be in the mix for the play-offs still.
And he hailed his side's defending as they thwarted the likes of Charles, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Kachunga and Dapo Afolayan as part of a formidable Wanderers forward line.
He said: "Bolton are a team in real good form and probably the way they're playing, you'd expect them too as well to be in the mix and the challenge for the play-off places so it gives us confidence to believe that we can come to places like this and get a win.
"We've done well over the last few games by beating teams who are in the bottom half of the table and sometimes they're more difficult games but we knew today was going to be a real tough one and the lads can now believe and grow in confidence and know that they can put in a different type of performance, a gutsy performance that you've got to dig in and somehow get the result and we've done that.
"I'm really pleased, it was a great win, a tough game as we knew it would be before the game started. Bolton are in great form at the moment and haven't lost here in seven games so we knew we'd have to play well with the ball at times and also defend well. We're really pleased to get the win..
"It gave us something to hold on to, something to defend and I thought we played well in the first half and we created some half decent chances. We had a couple of attempts on their goal and looked a threat but just didn't have enough quality to finish those chances off but to get one from a set play was really pleasing.
"All of them defended really well. Bolton have been in great form, they've got some unbelievable forward players. The players that they brought in January where they strengthened.
"Dion Charles, Bodvarsson's been in good form, they bring Kachunga on who has played at a high level, Afolayan is always a threat when he comes inside on his right foot and when he moved out to that left hand side, he's dangerous.
"He put the cross in for Kachunga's chance on the back post, but you understand that when you come to Bolton Wanderers away from home, you're going to have to defend, you're going to have to see periods out and I thought our lads were really calm, didn't commit too many fouls which is important and we're really pleased that Mike (Cooper) made another great save.
"We rode our luck when he hits the post and we get out of here with a win."
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