Nolan: We are nearly safe May 11 2008
Bolton midfielder Kevin Nolan insisted the 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Reebok Stadium put them "a long way down the road" to Premier League safety.
El-Hadji Diouf scored Wanderers' first with an angled drive three minutes before the break and Daryl Murphy headed an own goal to put them 2-0 up.
The win means they are three points above Reading and Fulham in 16th, and are now incredibly close to securing top-flight survival.
Nolan told Setanta Sports: "Getting 10 points out of 12 is a magnificent achievement. We know we're not mathematically safe but this puts us a long way down the road to being safe.
"All the work behind the scenes is the reason we're in this position today.
"We've gone through a few tough times this season but all the players have stuck together. The pressure was on us to produce and we've done it and it goes a long way to ensuring Bolton are in the Premier League next season."
Wanderers striker Kevin Davies added: "It's a massive result. To turn it around is unbelievable and it looks like we're out of (trouble) now.
"Everyone knows it's been a difficult year, we want to get this season behind us now."
Boss Gary Megson was impressed by his team and said: "I can't ask any more of them in terms of every game they have played and the effort they have put in.
"We can play better because results haven't been enough to get us into a position where we hope a club like this could be, but in terms of where we were to where we are I can't complain at all."
Asked what had kept Bolton up - barring a last-day collapse - Megson said: "The honesty of the players and the integrity of the players.
"We haven't played brilliantly this afternoon but we play with our hearts on our sleeve and give everything we've got."
He added: "We knew the scores as they were coming in but didn't make a difference to what we were trying to actually achieve.
"The consequence of getting the three points very much made the difference.
"The players knew they needed to perform today because we're going to Chelsea next week.
"It's four years since they lost at home isn't it?
"So we knew when we kicked off that if we could get a result it would put an awful amount of onus on the other teams, but we still had to get the actual win.
"Now we are three points above the relegation zone and in a great position to stay up."
Sunderland manager Roy Keane felt his team were outmuscled by Bolton.
"You know what you are going to get against Bolton and you have to deal with it, we are a passing team but we didn't do that today," he said.
"You're always playing for your future and we reminded the players of that. In the bigger picture we've managed to stay in the Premier League but we need improvement next season."
He added: "We've lost 22 games now this season and people keep telling me we've had a good season - but I'm lucky to be in a job.
"You learn a hell of a lot about your players all the time and today has just confirmed what I'm thinking anyway.
"I made three substitutions today but I could have made 10. I think they should change the rules so I can make 10 substitutions."