PNE sub was one in Vermij-llion

With 12 minutes left at the Macron Stadium, Marnick Vermijl joined the action in place of Daniel Johnson.

Vermijl took up a position on the right-hand side of a front three, that a departure from his usual right-back role.

It was the Belgian whose volley at the far post was flicked into the net by Eoin Doyle for PNE’s 86th-minute winner.

North End manager Grayson said: “It was a bit left-field in terms of the decision to put Marnick upfield, one up from where he normally plays.

“I thought that with his pace, he might get us something.

“We were able to move Adam Reach inside because of that and he did very well too.

“It was nice to see Marnick and Eoin Doyle involved in the winning goal.

“You always tell your subs to try and affect a game in a positive way and that happened at Bolton.

“Marnick did well for the goal but Doyle is claiming it because he got the last touch.”

Vermijl was credited with the goal in the media and also by the stadium announcer.

North End have given it to Doyle and it is likely that the Football League’s dubious goals committee will rule on it when they next meet.

Both Doyle and Vermijl have spent plenty of time on the bench of late.

Vermijl’s last start was in the FA Cup at Peterborough on January 9, with Calum Woods having made the right wing-back role his own since then.

Prior to Saturday, he last came on as a sub in the home defeat to Brentford.

Doyle’s last start was against Brentford, with him being used five times as a sub in recent weeks.

North End’s other scorer at Bolton Jordan Hugill was also making a rare start – he got the nod to replace the suspended Joe Garner.

Said Grayson: “With the size of our squad, no one is ever too far away from being involved.

“Everyone has their part to play and if someone is not in the team, we encourage them to work hard in training and in the behind-closed-doors games which we arrange.”

North End were down on numbers at Bolton in terms of availability in the squad.

The banned Garner was joined on the sidelines by injured pair Paul Huntington and Alan Browne.

Huntington got a knock on the calf in last Tuesday night’s defeat at Nottingham Forest.

A hip flexor injury kept Browne out of action for the second game running.

Grayson named only six subs, the bench including youngster Clive Smith.

They did have Ben Davies with them at Bolton, the defender having been on loan with Newport.

Exiles boss Warren Feeney revealed that Davies had been recalled from the loan.

But with the loan being an international transfer with Newport being under the Wales FA, it is believed clearance for Davies to return did not come through in time for Saturday.

Feeney said: “Ben Davies has gone back to Preston because they’ve a couple of injuries.”

Davies made nine starts and two substitute appearances for Newport after joining the League Two outfit on a youth loan in January.