Eoin Doyle could have had a hat-trick against Sunderland but the Bolton Wanderers striker came up against an inspired goalkeeper in the form of Thorben Hoffmann.
That's the view of former Chelsea striker Sam Parkin.
Bolton went behind in the first half after Carl Winchester struck in the early stages of the encounter.
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But Bolton ought to have got something out of the game, especially after the break with a much improved second half performance.
Doyle missed a free header from close range with a chance the striker would normally convert, which George Johnston lashed wide after meeting Dapo Afolayan's cross as Wanderers ultimately slipped to defeat.
Doyle was also denied by Hoffmann in the first half with a close range effort before seeing another strike parried away after the break as Wanderers sought an equaliser.
Speaking on the EFL highlights show on Quest as a pundit, Parkin felt it was a great game to watch and picked out Tom Flanagan and Winchester as among the standouts for the hosts.
But he also paid tribute to Bayern Munuch loanee Hoffmann, who denied Doyle on a few occasions and who in Parkin's view could have gone home with the match ball on another day.
And he feels both Wanderers and the Black Cats will be up there at the top end of League One by the end of the campaign.
He said: “This was a brilliant game. It ebbed and flowed and should have been more than the one goal.
“I thought three standouts really for Sunderland. Flanagan defensively, Cirkin here with the assist for another outfield player who was a standout in Winchester. That’s his second goal in two consecutive home games from right-back.
“I thought the goalkeeper Hoffmann, a series of brilliant saves normally from Eoin Doyle it seemed. Doyle could have been going back to Bolton with a hat-trick, but it was just that final element missing for the visitors today.
“But let’s not kid ourselves, that’s two really strong teams that I think will be up there at the end of the season.”
