The pressure is on Bolton Wanderers as manager Steven Schumacher delivers a stark warning to his squad: "It's only half-time." After a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bradford City in the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final, the message is clear—there's still everything to play for.

Saturday's clash at the Toughsheet Community Stadium saw young talent Amario Cozier-Duberry net the decisive goal, giving Bolton a slender advantage heading into Thursday's return leg in West Yorkshire. But Schumacher knows that a one-goal lead is fragile, especially when facing a hostile crowd at the University of Bradford stadium—a venue that proved challenging just weeks ago when the sides drew 1-1.

"It's going to be an intimidating atmosphere, which we saw two weeks ago," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester. "It's a good challenge for us. We knew the first game would be tight, and it was. Getting ourselves in front was the important thing we wanted to achieve."

Bolton are chasing a return to the Championship for the first time since 2019, and every moment counts. But the squad will have to dig deep without one of their key weapons. Republic of Ireland midfielder Johnny Kenny, who scored in that recent draw at Bradford and had bagged five goals in five consecutive games, is out for the remainder of the play-offs with knee ligament damage.

"He's got ligament damage in his knee, so that'll be him done," Schumacher confirmed. "He has six goals and a few assists. He was a constant threat, not easy to play against. We spoke a few weeks ago about how important he's been for us, so I can't deny he's going to be missed."

Still, the Bolton boss struck an optimistic tone. "We're missing Johnny Kenny, but someone else can step up and be the hero for us."

With promotion on the line and a cauldron of noise awaiting in Bradford, the stage is set for a dramatic second leg. For Bolton fans dreaming of Championship football, the next 90 minutes could define their season—and their manager knows it.