Ian Evatt says Bolton cannot start thinking they have ‘cracked it’, after moving into the automatic promotion places with victory at Fleetwood Town.
Second-half goals from Dion Charles and Victor Adeboyejo steered Wanderers to a 2-0 win in blustery conditions at Highbury Stadium on Friday evening – a scenario which has so often proved to be their undoing in previous seasons.
Whilst giving credit to his players for their performance, which came on the back of successive three-point hauls over Leyton Orient and Lincoln City, Evatt says focus now immediately shifts to New Year’s Day and not thoughts of promotion.
“That was proper,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “I am really proud of the players tonight.
“It was a really professional and clinical performance in awful conditions.
“We always look to the past to judge our journey and how far we have come, and I think in years gone by, we wouldn’t have performed like we did there in these conditions.
“We didn’t become panicked in the first-half. We had all the pressure, all the shots, all the domination
“Goals didn’t go in, but at half-time we spoke about being calm and executing what we are capable of doing in the second-half. We kept them at arm’s length in what was a proper away performance.
“I think both away performances [Lincoln City and Fleetwood] have been very good.
“The one against Leyton Orient was, first-half, Real Madrid, second-half, Dog and Duck, but that will happen at times.
“We are not always going to have it our own way. What we are managing to do is find different ways to win football matches.
“Tonight, these conditions were as bad as it gets for football and the way we want to play, but I was so proud with the way we went about our business.
“We have learned, evolved, the players have improved and still are improving.
“We know what we need to do on nights like this now. When to build, play and be expansive, but also when to utilise the front lads and play into good areas.
“There is no right or wrong way to win football matches but they are all about winning. This has been the last one of what I think has been a pretty good 2023.
“We’re at the halfway stage now and to be on 48 points is excellent. If we can replicate that in the second half of the season we’ll be promoted, that is the aim and ambition we have to focus on now.
“There is an awful lot of football to be played. We cannot think we have cracked it.
“This league is tough and unforgiving. People drop points left, right and centre.
“We have dropped points as well that we shouldn’t have done, had some poor performances, but we always have to focus on that next opportunity, and that’s Monday.”
