Bolton Wanderers head coach Ian Evatt believes ‘nobody can say it was a bad performance’ following their 2-1 defeat against Mansfield Town on New Year’s Day.
The Trotters travelled to Nottinghamshire at the turn of the year hoping to build on their 3-0 victory over Lincoln City in their previous fixture. It was a result which left them three points off the play-off places and perhaps gave a renewed belief that their inconsistent first half of the season was behind them.
They came up against a revitalised Mansfield harbouring top six ambitions of their own, and the Stags took the lead in the 20th minute through Stephen McLaughlin. Lee Gregory gave the home side a two-goal lead 16 minutes later before Aaron Collins pulled Bolton back into the game five minutes later.
Chasing the game in the second half, Ian Evatt’s side dominated possession but couldn’t find a way through their opponent’s back line. The game finished 2-1, with Bolton mustering just three shots on target throughout the 90 minutes.
Evatt Defends Performance
It was a result which saw the former Premier League side slip to 10th in League One, whilst the gap to the play-off places widening to six points. Evatt knows he is under pressure to get out of the division this season and is feeling the pressure from supporters. However, he believes that his team played well at the One Call Stadium, although admitted it was a frustrating result. Speaking to The Bolton News, the 43-year-old said:
“People only want results and this is a results business, I understand that. In terms of our general performance nobody could say it was a bad performance. We had complete dominance against a team that is difficult to play against.
“All we can do is look at it and try and improve. It is very frustrating for everyone involved and we are going to have to respond again.”
Writer’s View
Bolton did perhaps deserve to get something out of the game at Mansfield, but the reality is that they didn’t create enough clear-cut chances. Instead, they’ve come away with nothing. This means the Lincoln win is their only victory in their last five games and is a cause for concern ahead of two tough away games.
There’s an argument to say the result against the Imps sugar coated their form somewhat, with Ethan Erhahon’s bizarre half-time sending off effectively killing the game. The Trotters need a result at Exeter on Saturday to get the fans back on side.
