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Ian Evatt has predicted for a few weeks now that there will be something riding on the final day of the season – now his side must make sure that is the case.
Wanderers go to Peterborough United on the final day in a game that will be decisive, provided they can get the job done at home to Shrewsbury Town tonight and then follow it up with another win at the weekend against Port Vale.
Job one for the Whites is to narrow the gap to a single point by winning their game in hand, after which they will be looking for a favour from Elias Kachunga’s Cambridge United on Saturday.
That would set up a final day showdown at London Road, and Evatt would dearly love a repeat of the scenes in 2017 when Phil Parkinson’s side sealed automatic promotion with a 3-0 win against Posh.
“I have always felt like it would to down to that last game,” he said. “I have always felt that game was there for a reason.
“I’m a historian and the last time we were promoted out of this league we played Peterborough United on the last game of the season. Sometimes things spring up like that and I do believe that things happen for a reason or at least that is what I am hoping at the moment. There is a lot of work to be done before then.”
Saturday’s draw against Portsmouth surrendered the advantage they had over Derby, meaning that should the Rams beat Cambridge and Carlisle United in their final two games there is nothing that Bolton can do to retrieve the situation.
But the point against Pompey does mean that Paul Warne’s side cannot play for the draw and gives Evatt a slim hope that there will be another twist in what has been an unpredictable campaign.
“People say Portsmouth was win or bust but I don’t see it like that,” he said. “A draw kept another result alive, with goal difference etc. It has made it more difficult for us and we are relying on others but, as we saw throughout the pyramid last weekend, strange things can happen in football and we’re hopeful we can take advantage if anything strange should happen.”
Wanderers went public early on with their intention to target a top two spot, almost from the moment their play-off defeat at Barnsley last May was confirmed.
Evatt maintains progress has been made and remains confident they can achieve the goal of Championship football, even if that involves the dreaded play-offs once more.
He said: “Predominantly we have won a lot more games this season than we did last season, we have lost less, got more points, we’re in a better position because we have been in the top three for many weeks now. We mustn’t lose sight of that.
“Everybody desperately wants to get promotion and I stated that at the start of the season but as a manager, what do you expect me to say, we don’t want to be promoted? Of course we want to do our best and there are 23 other managers all trying to do the same thing.
“We have progressed, we have improved, and I feel we have got a really great opportunity this season.
“It is important we do our very best to make it happen. There are two avenues available to be promoted and it is down to the last three games, two of which are at home, we are good at home and let’s try and replicate Saturday in as many ways as we can but also try and get the three points, which we know is necessary.”
Shrewsbury are six points clear of the relegation zone but have endured a tough season, with the last 17 weeks spent in the lower half of the table.
Paul Hurst returned to the club in January, replacing ex-Bolton midfielder Matty Taylor, and has managed to keep them clear of serious trouble, even though their goal return has been the lowest in the whole EFL.
Evatt added: “I saw Paul before the Derby game last week and we had a bit of a chat, and he has found things pretty difficult. He has done a great job to get them safe – and I believe they are more or less safe – and they are a difficult team to play against, I believe they caused Portsmouth some problems at Fratton Park.
“Saturday, they had a sending off which affected the outcome of the game but they are competitive and dangerous from set plays, have aggressive players and some good attacking players as well.
“We absolutely have to play well. We know every team who comes to this stadium will raise their game.
“We have to get to our levels and if we do that we have a good chance of winning.”
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