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Wanderers showed they could mix it up against Bradford City – much to the delight of head coach Ian Evatt.
After coasting the first half playing the sort of football Evatt has pushed since he came to the club in the summer, Bolton were forced to defend stoutly at times in the second half.
Clutching to the lead given to them by Nathan Delfouneso in the 11th minute, Billy Crellin’s penalty save from Billy Clarke captured the headlines, given what had been said in the lead-up to the game.
But Evatt was equally pleased with his defenders, who themselves had come under fire just a week earlier in an error-strewn evening at Barrow.
“You have to win football matches in all different kinds of ways,” he said. “Sometimes you can be pleasing on the eye, have all the possession and cut the opposition apart. Sometimes you need to dig in and graft, get ahead in the game and hang on.
“Football isn’t one dimensional and there are a lot of ways to win games. Today we’ve won one ugly, and I’m pleased about it.”
Wanderers had chances to calm the nerves, particularly through Ali Crawford, who put five shots in on the Bradford goal with none on target.
Evatt knew his side would be put under pressure eventually, though, and was delighted to see them stand up to the scrutiny.
“We were excellent first half – and what I meant by ugly is that I like my teams to dominate possession,” he said. “I’d prefer us to have control, rather than to fight and dig and defend the penalty area.
“However, I knew what type of game it was going to be. We knew we would hurt them on transition and we did second half, we just didn’t take our chances.
“Ali left his shooting boots at home but I understand what he’s like as a player and I think he’ll score one of those chances nine times out of the 10 he’s asked to in any other game.
“It wasn’t his night, it was Billy Crellin’s night, and he deserves it.”
Wanderers registered their first home win under Evatt and the club’s first since beating Tranmere Rovers in League One on February 1.
Putting points on the board at the UniBol was an important step in Evatt’s view.
“This is our house, and to be honest, too many people have come and burgled our house this season. They have taken points when they shouldn’t have done. We have to make this a fortress, it’s great to get that monkey off our back.”
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After coasting the first half playing the sort of football Evatt has pushed since he came to the club in the summer, Bolton were forced to defend stoutly at times in the second half.
Clutching to the lead given to them by Nathan Delfouneso in the 11th minute, Billy Crellin’s penalty save from Billy Clarke captured the headlines, given what had been said in the lead-up to the game.
But Evatt was equally pleased with his defenders, who themselves had come under fire just a week earlier in an error-strewn evening at Barrow.
“You have to win football matches in all different kinds of ways,” he said. “Sometimes you can be pleasing on the eye, have all the possession and cut the opposition apart. Sometimes you need to dig in and graft, get ahead in the game and hang on.
“Football isn’t one dimensional and there are a lot of ways to win games. Today we’ve won one ugly, and I’m pleased about it.”
Wanderers had chances to calm the nerves, particularly through Ali Crawford, who put five shots in on the Bradford goal with none on target.
Evatt knew his side would be put under pressure eventually, though, and was delighted to see them stand up to the scrutiny.
“We were excellent first half – and what I meant by ugly is that I like my teams to dominate possession,” he said. “I’d prefer us to have control, rather than to fight and dig and defend the penalty area.
“However, I knew what type of game it was going to be. We knew we would hurt them on transition and we did second half, we just didn’t take our chances.
“Ali left his shooting boots at home but I understand what he’s like as a player and I think he’ll score one of those chances nine times out of the 10 he’s asked to in any other game.
“It wasn’t his night, it was Billy Crellin’s night, and he deserves it.”
Wanderers registered their first home win under Evatt and the club’s first since beating Tranmere Rovers in League One on February 1.
Putting points on the board at the UniBol was an important step in Evatt’s view.
“This is our house, and to be honest, too many people have come and burgled our house this season. They have taken points when they shouldn’t have done. We have to make this a fortress, it’s great to get that monkey off our back.”
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