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Ian Evatt believes victory against promotion rivals Derby County showed what can be accomplished with a united front at Wanderers.
The Bolton boss had come under fire in some quarters during a difficult fortnight in the aftermath of a heavy home loss against Wigan and the passing of transfer deadline day without any further additions to his squad.
But Bolton provided a positive response to their doubters, battling back from a goal down to win the game 2-1, albeit Josh Dacres-Cogley’s winner arrived after Rams keeper Joe Wildsmith had been shown a straight red card.
Conor Hourihane and Dion Charles had traded penalties in a first half which Wanderers had dominated for long spells, and Evatt said the reaction of his players after falling behind showed much about their character.
“I think it was an excellent performance,” he said. “It was the first time we have shown our dominance against a direct competitor. We started exactly how we should have done, but didn’t, in the Wigan game.
“We were front foot, we were aggressive, we won duels, we played with tempo and we had them penned in for large periods.
“We conceded a goal and it would have been easy for the players to feel sorry for ourselves, it would have been easy for fans in the stadium to feel sorry for themselves but I think the way the majority backed the players today, it was rocking. We went behind and it lifted them immediately.
“We got ourselves back in the game and I thought it was a deserved three points in the end.”
Wanderers immediately looked a different team than the one which had been humbled at home in their last league game at the Toughsheet Stadium and will have felt unlucky to fall behind from the spot after a foul from Victor Adeboyejo on Callum Elder was spotted by the officials at a corner.
The reaction, however, from both players and the supporters, was what Evatt was most pleased with after the final whistle.
“We have a job to do with the supporters to lift them off their seats, and likewise, when things go against us as they did today, they can help the players recover. It is a mutual thing,” he said.
“Today the togetherness was there for all to see. And when we are like that, as a unit, the players, fans, staff, everyone else, we are a tough team to play against. I thought the way we controlled the ball and managed the game was excellent.
“The sending off perhaps didn’t help us because they sacrificed attack until the last five minutes and people are screaming for crosses to be put in, and crosses, but it is very tough against set defences when I think their smallest player is about 6ft 3ins. We are not built for that so we have to pick our way through and find a way.
“Thankfully we got the goal we needed and the last five minutes was a bit edgy, probably because of the last few weeks. I am delighted we managed that spell and got three points, so on to the next one.”
Derby held in there at 2-1 and had a few moments late in the game which made hearts flutter among the home fans – but Paul Warne’s physical, robust team rarely managed to cope with Bolton when they got their passing game going.
Patience, reckons Evatt, was the key quality on the day.
“Huge spells of the game we were dominant, with 10 and 11, but we do need to understand what type of team we are and what type of team they are too,” he said.
“Football is about playing to your strengths and hiding your deficiencies. Their strengths are being physical dominant, they are strong at set pieces and crosses, and they were always going to put us under pressure under those scenarios.
“When we have the ball and move the opposition we are a tough team to play against as well. Every team has an identity and I thought the way we played to our own was very good.”
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