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Ian Evatt is expecting a tough test against Sheffield Wednesday – but insists his side are relishing the occasion.
The Owls are unbeaten in their last five matches and are up to fifth in the League One table heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
Evatt praised Darren Moore for the job he has done at Hillsborough amid the big expectations at the club.
“Thankfully he has been given time because during the season, everybody goes through bad spells and good spells,” he told the Bolton News.
“You have to ride with the punches and I think he has done that more than most. I live close to Sheffield so I hear a lot of the press.
“We think we have expectations here, they have double and triple it there. A difficult job but one he is doing very well.
“As I said, no-one has any given right to be promoted out of this division. You have to go out and earn it, and they are having a good go at it.
“I think he is a great guy and very experienced, so it is going to be a tough game. But it is one we are looking forward to – a big crowd here.
“We have been in good form since January, losing only three games. The aim is to try and stay unbeaten for the rest of the season and then progress next season.”
Evatt is no stranger to big expectations but insists that no side in the division has a “given right” to win promotion.
He added: “Regardless of the size of your club, you haven’t got any entitlement or any given right to be promoted.
“They’ve got to go out and earn it and I’ve got no doubt they’ll be doing all they can to try and make sure they finish in the top six.
“But there’s some big teams fighting for those places, so we want to be ultra-competitive.”
Wanderers could come against Barry Bannan, who Evatt knows very well from his time as a player at Blackpool.
Bannan has been an important player for the Yorkshire club this season, scoring eight goals in 43 appearances.
The Bolton chief had nothing but positive things to say about his former team-mate and admits he is “a huge threat”.
“I know Baz very well. I played with him and am still in contact with him, that group is still in constant dialogue really.
“A fantastic talent. He sees pictures quicker than everybody else, wonderful left foot and has had a very good career.
“He is obviously a huge threat for them, but there are lots of good players in their team and we have to try to cope with them all.”
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