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After coming close to the ‘perfect half’ of football at Port Vale, Josh Sheehan has designs on turning that into a complete performance against Stevenage this evening.
Though Wanderers would have liked to hold a more commanding lead in the Potteries, the way they went about the first 45 minutes was – in Ian Evatt’s estimation – the best spell in his time as manager.
Sheehan was right in the thick of the action but admits some direction was lost after the interval, which lessened his impact in the game.
The target now, says the Welshman, is to produce a more consistent display.
“That first half is the level we need to be at every game,” he told The Bolton News. “Minute one on Saturday the intention was to go and score, dominate the ball. We did that but the only thing that was missing was a couple of goals, then it could have been the perfect half.
“It is making sure we come out second half with the same intent. We don’t mean to do it, we don’t come out second half and say ‘let’s defend’ but they were always going to change something and come after us. We maybe didn’t deal with that well enough.
“We didn’t get our foot on the ball, string those passes together. We probably only managed it two or three times second half and we could have scored on the counter but for the type of player we are, we need to be on the ball.
“Some teams are better defending like that but we’re not. We need to get on the ball.”
Sheehan has started seven out of nine league games for Wanderers so far, establishing himself as an important cog in Evatt’s midfield and largely avoiding the rotation which he experienced last season.
Now fully recovered from the knee injury which wrecked his first campaign with the club, the former Newport County man feels like he is playing his best football at Bolton again.
“I am feeling confident,” he said. “I think it is a good match the way that the gaffer wants to play and he has brought me here for a reason. It has been a good start but I do think there is a lot to come.
“I playing alright – I feel like I can do more in games, whether that is getting on the ball more, getting involved more through the whole 90 minutes. I think that is the next step for us as a team as well, making sure it is a 90-minute performance.
“Once you have come off a lengthy injury you feel in yourself ‘I should be straight back in there’ but it doesn’t work like that, it takes time. You will go through bad games, it is the confidence in your body and yourself, just everything takes a bit of patience.
“I probably got to my form by the end of last season and then getting a pre-season makes a big difference to any player.”
Wanderers welcome the three promoted teams in their next three games, starting with Steve Evans’s Stevenage, who have made an excellent start and sit one point and one place above the Whites at start of play.
Stylistically, they are among the most direct teams in the division, scoring more goals than anyone else from set plays.
Bolton have experienced issues with such opponents in the past but Sheehan feels they are well prepared.
“We know what Stevenage are going to be about, we have done our homework now, it is just dealing with their style of play and making sure we’re at it,” he said.
“Things can change, sometimes teams like to throw different formations at us because they know we want to dominate the ball. They might change something to cope with us.
“We need to recognise that on the pitch and target the areas we can cause problems.
“We know they are going to be a physical team, that is what has got them results at the start of the season, and I can’t see them changing that now.
“We see it as an opportunity, but every game is tough in this league. We are confident at home and have a strong record here.
“You saw it against Peterborough when we were down to 10 men and defending a lot more than we usually do, our fans were non-stop signing. It does carry you through and I think that showed in the performance.”
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