Cardiff looked to be coasting towards promotion for much of this season, before a run of only two wins from their past eight games caused the nerves to kick in.
Supporters’ apprehension before this fixture was not helped by the fact the Bluebirds had lost two and drawn one of their previous home games against the three other top-five teams in League One.
You would not have known it from the way Cardiff started against Bolton, flying out of the traps and putting the away side under intense pressure.
There were five shots during a frantic opening 15 minutes, with Kellyman and Robertson drawing saves from visiting goalkeeper Jack Bonham.
Robertson then somehow managed to hit the bar from point-blank range when it looked easier to score.
Given the sheer volume of chances, it felt like a matter of time before Cardiff eventually broke through.
And when they finally got that elusive goal, after five hours of waiting, they scored two in two minutes.
Kellyman got the first, glancing in unmarked from Bagan’s inswinging corner, and Willock applied a slick finishing touch to a Robertson-inspired break for the second.
Ollie Tanner and Ryan Wintle came close to adding a third, while Bolton barely threatened beyond Dalby’s header which brushed the post.
With four games left, Steven Schumacher’s men look destined to finish in the play-off spots.
As for Cardiff, they have five matches remaining to seal automatic promotion. With their 10-point advantage, it should be a formality from here.
