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Wanderers kept themselves in the promotion hunt with a much-needed victory against Cambridge United – but Ian Evatt admits a taxing week has taken a personal toll.
With the top five teams in League One all winning at the weekend, focus now shifts to Tuesday night for the Whites and a tough-looking trip to face rivals Barnsley in a repeat of last season’s play-off semi-final.
They go to Oakwell in better spirits after goals from George Thomason and Aaron Collins secured an important three points at the Toughsheet on Saturday.
Defeats against Lancashire rivals Blackpool and Wigan Athletic in the previous week had sparked concern among supporters that the club’s push for the top two was faltering.
But Bolton bounced back against Cambridge to relieve some pressure and can move into second place in the table with any positive result at Barnsley.
Asked if he can enjoy life as a manager at the moment, Evatt told The Bolton News: “No. I haven’t enjoyed this week, I haven’t. it has taken an awful lot out of me.
“And as I have said, I have 11 games to go and then I’ll reset in the summer and think about what happens in the future.
“But, for now, my full focus is on trying to get us out of this division. I love working with these lads, I love working for this football club and we are certainly going to give it our all.
“There are 11 games to go, so it is about keeping that togetherness now, the strong unity as a football club – not just us, everybody – and giving it the best possible shot we can.
“It has been a really hot pace, really tough. And we are going to do our best to stick with it.”
Josh Sheehan registered his 10th assist of the season for Thomason’s opening goal, which means only Derby County’s Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has now created more goals in League One.
The Wales international has also come in for some rough physical treatment from opposition players of late, now ranking as the fourth most fouled player in the entire division.
Evatt paid tribute to his playmaker’s ability to continue to affect games.
“He is huge for us and no matter how many times people try to kick him out of the game, he pulls his socks up and goes again,” he added.
“He has got a great desire to do that. He’s a wonderful player, really talented, and we are seeing the best of him.”
Evatt has confirmed that Dion Charles will not be available to play on Tuesday night at Barnsley but he does expect the club’s injury situation to clear soon.
“I do think it will get better for us,” he said. “Come the other side of the international break I want to see us still in it but I do think at that point the squad will look completely different, the weather will start to look better, the pitches will be better, and things start to come in our favour.
“But there are a lot of games and a lot of football to be played before that break. We have to keep our head down and keep working hard.
“We can’t control anyone else, we can only take care of our own business.”
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