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Several members of the Wanderers squad had to watch from the sidelines at Wembley – and Ian Evatt says they are hungry to make an impact in the league.
Shola Shoretire, Victor Adeboyejo and Dan Nlundulu were all cup-tied against Plymouth, having played in the competition for other clubs earlier in the season.
Luke Mbete also missed out on the day, with George Johnston returning to the bench following a spell out of action.
The Bolton boss believes the players who were absent from the squad can still take a lot from the experience.
“We spoke before the game – some players weren’t involved on the day but everybody should gain some experience from it,” he told The Bolton News.
“I think what they have gained is they want to be involved in days like that because it was such a great day for everybody.
“That is the plan and the aim, we have got to work really, really hard to get to that stage again and by no means are we resting on our laurels.
“We are going to give it all we can, keep working hard on the training ground and see where that takes us.”
Eoin Toal is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign due to an ankle injury sustained at Wembley.
The defender was forced off during the second half following a reckless challenge by substitute Sam Cosgrove.
Toal had become an important member of Evatt’s side since breaking into the first-team picture back in December.
Meanwhile, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Jack Iredale are both long-term absentees with ankle and knee injuries respectively.
Despite the highs of the final, Evatt is still striving for more as Wanderers aim to keep climbing up the table.
“I think there is huge room for improvement still,” he added. “As I said on Sunday, it was a sign of our progression that for the first time really in the big games, we took our moments and performed to the level I believe we can get to.
“I wasn’t surprised, I have seen them do it in training. I have seen them do it sporadically in games – Sunderland last year, Peterborough and MK Dons this year. Those types of games, I have seen them reach that level.
“But now it is about doing it on a more consistent basis, that has to be our aim and goal. We are going to work extremely hard to try to make that happen.”
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