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Antoni Sarcevic’s late equaliser for Wanderers could be a season-defining moment, believes Ian Evatt.
The Whites looked to be heading for a fifth defeat in seven games after failing to turn their second-half dominance into a goal at Holker Street.
Peter Kioso and Eoin Doyle had twice got Evatt’s side back into the game but with time running out, Sarcevic’s late drive rescued a result which sparked scenes of unbridled joy on the Bolton bench.
And the head coach believes the fact his players fought to the bitter end shows they can silence the doubts about their promotion credentials, which have mounted in recent weeks.
“I said at half-time, and this is the god’s honest truth, you can speak to any of the players, I said this second half will define who we are and where we go, and it will,” Evatt said after the game.
"The fact that we’ve scored in that manner and we kept going and we controlled most of the second half, if not all, showed me that they’re in the right headspace and they want it. For the first time, I’ve seen that they really want it. We’ve just got to start games better."
Though Wanderers’ comeback was well-deserved in the end, their defending in the first half left a lot to be desired.
Old boy Chris Taylor, Mike Jones and Dior Angus had rattled up a 3-1 lead which could have been extended to four when Taylor failed to convert a decent chance from the edge of the penalty box after Billy Crellin had been caught stranded.
Evatt agrees that his team cannot keep shipping early goals – with four of the 11 conceded this season coming inside the first 30 minutes.
He disputed Barrow’s third, claiming Dior was offside, but accepted there needs to be a change in focus from the opening whistle.
“The start wasn’t good enough and then we get ourselves back in the game and we’re dominating the 2-1 and then the decision was appalling but for me, it’s mentality,” he said.
"So far this season we haven’t grasped the bull by the horns and we’ve allowed the opposition into the game before we’ve kickstarted ourselves. That’s happened numerous times, that’s happened on Saturday and it’s happened on other occasions.
"We have to start games like we finish them. It shouldn’t take the opposition to score before we get angry and play angry, we have to play angry from minute one and when we start doing that, we’ll win consistently because I believe we’re good and we’re getting better."
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The Whites looked to be heading for a fifth defeat in seven games after failing to turn their second-half dominance into a goal at Holker Street.
Peter Kioso and Eoin Doyle had twice got Evatt’s side back into the game but with time running out, Sarcevic’s late drive rescued a result which sparked scenes of unbridled joy on the Bolton bench.
And the head coach believes the fact his players fought to the bitter end shows they can silence the doubts about their promotion credentials, which have mounted in recent weeks.
“I said at half-time, and this is the god’s honest truth, you can speak to any of the players, I said this second half will define who we are and where we go, and it will,” Evatt said after the game.
"The fact that we’ve scored in that manner and we kept going and we controlled most of the second half, if not all, showed me that they’re in the right headspace and they want it. For the first time, I’ve seen that they really want it. We’ve just got to start games better."
Though Wanderers’ comeback was well-deserved in the end, their defending in the first half left a lot to be desired.
Old boy Chris Taylor, Mike Jones and Dior Angus had rattled up a 3-1 lead which could have been extended to four when Taylor failed to convert a decent chance from the edge of the penalty box after Billy Crellin had been caught stranded.
Evatt agrees that his team cannot keep shipping early goals – with four of the 11 conceded this season coming inside the first 30 minutes.
He disputed Barrow’s third, claiming Dior was offside, but accepted there needs to be a change in focus from the opening whistle.
“The start wasn’t good enough and then we get ourselves back in the game and we’re dominating the 2-1 and then the decision was appalling but for me, it’s mentality,” he said.
"So far this season we haven’t grasped the bull by the horns and we’ve allowed the opposition into the game before we’ve kickstarted ourselves. That’s happened numerous times, that’s happened on Saturday and it’s happened on other occasions.
"We have to start games like we finish them. It shouldn’t take the opposition to score before we get angry and play angry, we have to play angry from minute one and when we start doing that, we’ll win consistently because I believe we’re good and we’re getting better."
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