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It might not have felt like it at the time, but Nat Ogbeta’s leg-sapping 90 minutes at Cambridge United could do him the world of good.
Ian Evatt believes his on-loan defender’s first full game in 10 months is a major milestone, which will give him a better chance of making an impact in Bolton’s promotion push.
Ogbeta was injured last April whilst on loan from Swansea City at Peterborough United, and admitted in midweek: “I carried on, even though my legs didn’t want me to!”
The 22-year-old impressed in Wanderers’ second-half comeback but is likely to be rested on Saturday at Blackpool, with Zac Ashworth coming into the team on the left.
“It’s important for himself and the confidence in his own body,” Evatt said of Ogbeta’s first full game for the Whites.
“He was extremely tired at the end and we’d already burned one sub with Caleb Taylor having to come off injured in the first half. He had to find a way but sometimes you have to show that mental toughness to get through games.
“I think he’ll feel much better now that he has those miles on the clock, so to speak, and I think we’ll see further improvement in his physical capabilities.”
Wanderers’ comeback at the Abbey Stadium set them up nicely for two local trips and, says Evatt, underlines the fighting quality they have shown on several occasions this season.
“Cambridge had been on a decent run of form too, they have really improved and have some decent players, so we feel like it was a really decent result,” he said of the 2-1 win.
“I thought the performance in general was pretty good on Tuesday and the data backs it up, I think their xG was 0.2 and we were very unfortunate to concede the goal we did.
“Again, the players responded and showed great resilience and this team just doesn’t know when it is beaten, which is not a bad habit to get into.”
An early own goal set the nerves jangling, particularly as it was the third time in five games that Bolton had conceded the opening goal inside the first 10 minutes.
They found a way level through Paris Maghoma, then took the lead with a stunning volley from Carlos Mendes Gomes – making it 10 points retrieved this season in League One after conceding the opening goal.
“We have talked about it at great length over my time as manager, not just this season,” Evatt said. “But we always back ourselves to score goals.
“I want us to be in the mindset that we will just out-score the opposition. Fundamentally, we are good at keeping clean sheets and our record speaks volumes on that. But if we concede we shouldn’t be affected by it, we should be able to get the ball out of the net, put it down on the centre spot and go again. We have to be relentless.
“I think we have managed to find different gears and, again, it is a good habit.”
Wanderers have won beaten Blackpool at Bloomfield Road in a league game since 1977, one of the longest waits for victory on any away ground.
Evatt sees the stat as an incentive, knowing three points could send his team above Derby County into second spot.
“Someone has got to do it, haven’t they?” he said. “I would love that to be us, and those type of markers are something I want this team to grab. I want us to take it on and stop that run.
“Fingers crossed we can go and produce a really good performance to give us the best chance of winning the game, but we know it will be tough because Blackpool are a good side.”
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