Ian Evatt felt Kieran Sadlier did well in his wing-back role against Crewe Alexandra and believes Bolton Wanderers won their battles better in the second half of the victory though Amadou Bakayoko may have picked up an injury in the win.
In a first half which was scrappy in windy conditions at Gresty Road, Wanderers improved after the break and Dapo Afolayan struck the post as the visitors looked more likely to score.
And that late goal came when Kieran Sadlier's free-kick came off the post and George Johnston crossed back into the box for Bakayoko to net his 11th goal of the season and reduce the deficit to the play-offs to nine points with seven games of their season left with a crucial 1-0 win.
READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt on Crewe Alex win, Amadou Bakayoko goal and play-off hopes
For the encounter in Cheshire, Sadlier lined up at right wing-back as he replaced the injured Marlon Fossey following the Fulham loanee's season being ruled out for the rest of the season due to a torn meniscus.
Evatt was pleased with what he saw from the January signing from Rotherham United in the encounter and felt his side became more difficult to beat and won their battles against the Railwaymen better in the second half of the encounter as Bakayoko scored another important goal off the bench.
Bakayoko is poised to head off to Turkey to link up with Sierra Leone for the first time for friendlies against Liberia, Togo and Congo.
But Evatt revealed Bakayoko picked up a calf injury when he came on and is unsure if the attacker will be able to travel or not, as he heaped praise on his goalscorer and his right wing-back.
He said: “He (Sadlier) did really well. He gives us options in numerous positions. Obviously Marlon (Fossey) and his energy is a big loss for us but I thought Kieran slipped in there and did really well and shows the quality of his set piece taking and his free kicks.
"There was one or two where he caused the keeper some problems and we’ve managed to finish it off at the end. I was pleased with them all.
"The position we’re in the league, it would have been easy to duck out and to see the game out 0-0, but they kept going and I’m delighted to get the win.
"I think we do create chances and he’s (Bakayoko) taken and scored some really important goals.
"If felt a bit like it wasn’t ever going to come at the start of the second half, it was shot after shot, attack after attack and obviously hitting the post and the keep making some good saves, but we dug in and we kept going and I’m delighted to Baka to get an important goal.
"I think to be honest Baka hurt his calf when he came on so whether he’ll travel or not, I don’t know, that’s a bit of a worry at the moment.
“It’s really challenging and difficult to get our players to switch modes because everything we coach and train and what we’ve developed and are, that’s not it.
"It’s almost we have to rip a plaster off and go ‘right, this is how we’re going to have to win today’ and it’s alien to them.
"They want to play, they want to create, they want to move, they want to rotate and it’s not about that today.
"It’s just about playing in to good areas, being difficult to beat, winning second balls, winning the transitions and we did that better second half than what we did first half.”
