Bolton boss Ian Evatt on comeback Accrington Stanley…

Bolton boss Ian Evatt on comeback Accrington Stanley win, second half changes & away day belief

Bolton Wanderers returned to winning ways in League One with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory ovrer Accrington Stanley.

Shaun Whalley's effort put the hosts ahead early in the first half. Kyle Dempsey had a pair of efforts, one from a free kick, saved by Toby Savin, while Dion Charles saw a goalbound rebound blocked by Mitch Clark.

After the break, Wanderers went two behind when George Johnston headed past James Trafford to double Stanley's lead, before Ricardo Santos headed off the line from Whalley. Wanderers got back into the game thanks to Harvey Rodgers putting through his own net.

And Dapo Afolayan completed the comeback with a marvellous solo effort to put the Whites in the lead. It proved to be the winner as Wanderers secured their first League One win and indeed goals in the division since the start of October to move back into the division's play-off places.

After the win, Wanderers boss Ian Evatt had his say on the comeback victory and gave his verdict on the course of the game.

Initial reaction to the win...

“That was a game of so many emotions. It’s amazing and I’ve said in the last couple of weeks it takes so long to build confidence and then within three games, you can see it completely sap and drain away and I think we were playing first half devoid of confidence.

“Even though we had some good chances and some good opportunities, we became panicky and desperate because we’ve all made a big deal about the strikers not scoring, every single one of us, and they feel the pressure.

“When they concede such a poor goal like they did from a throw in, that’s just like us, and then all of a sudden, you could see even more confidence sap and drain away from them.

“At half-time we’re having to lift them all up and then they come out and we started abysmally and I had to change something and we managed to make three changes. We changed system and shape, we got a goal back pretty much straight away and you could all of a sudden see the confidence come flooding back and that’s football.

“We’ve gone through a massive range of emotions, you’ve got the fans singing ‘Evatt, sort it out’ and then 10 minutes later they’re singing my name again. It’s just an incredible game sometimes. We all love it and that was a game to enjoy.”

It’s a good game to win with games to come throughout the week now?

“Any win is a good win and during that game we all felt those emotions of ‘here we go again’ – I know we did, we all did. And I know you guys will have done as well.

“We were all wondering what went wrong, what could it be? It is not us. We are better than that.

“Once we got that first goal you could see the confidence flow back and we turned it on. When we do that teams struggle to live with us.

“That is a fantastic result for them and hopefully it will lay down a marker now for the other away games to come.”

Apart from the three points and the win, does it give the players belief?

“I just hope it reminds them how good they can be. What is the worst that can happen when you concede a goal?

“Bill Shankly said football was more important than life or death and sometimes it feels like that when you are out there. But what is the worst that can happen? Score again? So what?

“You have to have belief and confidence because if we don’t then we can’t be who we want to be.

“Second half we managed to turn it on and I am delighted for the boys. They have suffered and I know it has been in their heads as well, so hopefully that eradicates the negativity they have been feeling.”

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