MATCH REACTION: Barnsley 0-3 Bolton

Ian Evatt insists his Wanderers are capable of reproducing the same performance level they showed at Barnsley more often in the promotion run-in.

An eye-catching 3-0 win at Oakwell put Bolton fifth in the table, giving Evatt the perfect start to the New Year after a couple of difficult draws against Derby and Lincoln.

The Whites boss reckons the gameplan to get Dion Charles in behind the Barnsley back-line worked to a tee, creating two early chances and then the penalty, which also led to Mads Andersen being sent off in the 11th minute.

“I think it has been coming,” he said of the result. “I was really impressed with the way we started the game. We had good energy and attitude and we knew that the first two games we played against Barnsley they are always creeping, looking to condense the space. But there is space in behind them and we wanted to expose it.

“For the first 10-15 minutes we did that. I thought just before the red and the penalty there was another red and a penalty on Dion. He was too honest and tried to stay on his feet but we don’t want to preach to people to go down in that sort of situation but I think the referee got that one wrong.

“A similar sort of pattern after that got us the second goal and then after that, we took control.”

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson scored the second and Kyle Dempsey added a third by finishing off a wonderful passing move.

“My teams are capable of that – and there are one or two other moves that had we finished them off, they would have been very good goals,” Evatt said.

“I am just really pleased for the players. We have put a lot into this month and we are a hard team to beat. We know we have left some points out there but we know we are capable.

“I think they are in a good place, they are doing the right things, and I am just really pleased for them.”

Asked if the win was Bolton’s best result and performance of the season, he added: “Football is one of those short-sighted, short-term mindsets, and people will probably think that is as good as it has got but we have had some really good performances this season.

“We are capable of that, and I have been saying it all along.

“We had to keep the tempo high and we knew that the first 20 minutes of the second half they would be organised and looked to press but if we took care of the ball they would fatigue – and they did for the last 20 minutes.”

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