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George Thomason’s fairy-tale finish gifted Wanderers a sixth straight win – and might even guarantee Ian Evatt a decent night’s sleep.
The Bolton boss reckoned he had been unable to get a good rest on the eve of the game as he pondered over his starting line-up.
But a tense and even affair was settled by a stunning strike from Thomason – himself a former Tangerines youth player who was released by the club at the age of 16.
“Football throws up these stories sometimes and for a young boy to be released by Blackpool and score the winner for Bolton is something very special,” Evatt enthused.
“I am very proud of him, I am very proud of them all because that was a very tough game.
“I said to the players I don’t sleep much anyway but Fridays tend to be my worst night because I have to leave players out and it is hard, they are disappointed. But the togetherness in the group, the people they are, they are amazing. I can’t wait to get back out on the grass with them again on Monday. It excites me working with this group of players.
“I just thought both sets of players represented their players in such a great way, it was a great game of football.
“That club is dear to my heart but so is this one, and there is nobody happier than me that we won that game tonight.”
Wanderers have kept clean sheets in their last four games in league and cup and kept Blackpool to minimal chances once they had forged ahead midway through the second half.
Evatt felt his team had been worthy winners in the end as they racked up a sixth straight win for only the second time in his charge, coming in the week where he had also been given October’s manager of the month award.
“What an advert for League One football,” he said. “I thought it was such a high-quality game, two teams that are good with and without the ball.
“I thought we shaded it, to be honest, had the better chances, and we raised the tempo second half.
“It was a tight game and it was great to be on the right side of it.”
Evatt did pick up a yellow card from referee Ben Toner – with five of his players also being cautioned during the course of the game. That means he will not be on the touchline for the EFL Trophy game against Stockport County on Tuesday night.
“I think just about every Bolton player got a yellow today,” Evatt complained. “But the ref must have lost his yellow card for the Blackpool ones. There were so many challenges which went unpunished on their side, and yet similar tackles, first offences, got a yellow on ours.”
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