Brilliant Bolton handed Exeter their heaviest league defeat for 65 years, but boss Ian Evatt insisted: “The hard work starts here.”
Top scorer Dion Charles bagged a second-half brace in Wanderers’ biggest win since March 1997 – a defeat under pressure Grecians chief Gary Caldwell described as “embarrassing.”
Victory also lifted the Trotters to the League One summit though Evatt refused to get carried away.
“We have finally got to top spot but things only get harder from here,” he said. “We need to go again and step up again.
“We are nowhere near the finished article. There are lots of things to improve on.
“It feels good (being top) but it will only feel really good at the end of this season. We have done nothing yet.
“It’s not about being top in November it’s about finishing top in April.”
Despite playing down the magnitude of Wanderers’ eighth successive win in all competitions Evatt added: “This is the best group I have worked with as a manager professionally as well as personally.
“The togetherness is exceptional. We have always been wanting to do that and everyone has seen we are capable.
“But to go ahead and do it is something we are pleased about. Once we found our rhythm some of the football was scintillating.”
Bolton took 34 minutes to break down Exeter but Jack Iredale and Victor Adeboyejo then scored before the break.
However, the floodgates opened in the second half. Paris Maghoma made it 3-0, Northern Ireland international Charles netted twice in 11 minutes before substitutes Dan Nlundulu and Kyle Dempsey rounded off the Trotters highest win of the Millennium.
Exeter boss Caldwell received a midweek vote of confidence but admitted: “We have to take what is coming.
“I have had great dialogue with board. They know the long-term plan we have. We are in a difficult moment and we have to stay strong and stick together.
“That is the whole football club: the board, the supporters, staff and players
“We know what we are doing moving forward. But in the short-term we have to win a game of football. Hopefully, this is rock bottom and we can start to build up.
“I believe in this group of players but they need to stand up in these difficult moments. It was embarrassing. We let the club down and let the supporters down.”
Caldwell, whose side topped League One in September but have also been humiliated 9-0 in the EFL Trophy by Reading, added: “We all have to stand up and be counted in this difficult run. We have had problems scoring goals but for me defensively it is an even bigger worry.
“In every single of defending we have to be so much better.”
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.
The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.
However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.
Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang.
The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.
Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand.
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