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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

Bolton 'lightyears' ahead of other promoted sides after Morecambe draw as key factor highlighted

Ian Evatt believes Bolton Wanderers are 'lightyears' ahead of the sides which were promoted out of League Two last season and has put that down to the recruitment his side has done.

Wanderers won automatic promotion to the third tier of English football least season along with Cambridge United and Cheltenham Town, while Morecambe achieved League One status via the play-offs.

Wanderers are 11th in the table and well clear of Cambridge and Cheltenham in terms of points, while Morecambe are in the drop zone at present.

READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers clarity on Wigan Athletic clash as Portsmouth League One question remains

Evatt feels some perspective is needed and it remembered that though Wanderers are seeking to reach the play-offs, they are a newly promoted side.

But he believes the recruitment done at Bolton means they are 'light years' ahead of the other promoted sides as his side claimed a point at home against Morecambe thanks to Jon Dadi Bodvarsson's late equaliser to cancel out Cole Stockton's opener.

Evatt said: “That is important that we do have some perspective. As much as we want to be promoted, we are a newly promoted team and if you look at all the other newly promoted teams, they’re a long way behind where we are and that speaks volumes for our recruitment.

"I think we’re lightyears ahead of them. I think that’s been proved tonight but you have to understand that they’re trying to win football matches the way they can and we have to be better and do better with some of our details.

"I think everybody knows the game should have been all over within the first 20 minutes, it wasn’t and then we caused ourselves problems but we’ll keep improving, we’ll stay grounded and we know there’s more to come.”

Wanderers began the clash at the University of Bolton Stadium exceptionally well and could have been a few goals to the good by half-time.

Dion Charles missed a glorious chance and struck the crossbar with another effort, while Amadou Bakayoko saw an effort land wide.

But Stockton gave the visitors the advantage after making the most of George Johnston's short pass to give the Shrimps the lead at the break.

Wanderers huffed and puffed after the break but got a stoppage time equaliser when Xavier Amaechi teed up fellow substitute Bodvarsson to net late on and salvage a point.

The draw keeps Wanderers in 11th place in League One and they remain seven points from the top six with nine games of their season left to go.

Wanderers ended up having 25 shots on goal and 80 per cent possession as the Shrimps were happy to sit in and be broken down by their hosts in a bid for the spoils.

And Evatt believes his side must learn to deal with how to unlock sides which set up like that more at the University of Bolton Stadium as he believes it is something they will encounter more and more.

He said: “We win or we learn and tonight we’ve learned. I think that’s the motto and ethos we have to have. The more we gain in reputation, the more we’re going to come up against that type of thing and we have to learn to deal with it emotionally.

"That’s us on the side as well and also in game and not become embroiled in some of the spoiling tactics or embroiled with the atmosphere in the stadium.

"We have to stay focused on what we’re trying to do because when we get it right, we’re really difficult to play against, but it’s about managing those emotions and staying calm and composed and believing in the process, trust the process and what we’re trying to do because it’s really good when we get it right.

“I’m frustrated tonight but we also probably got away with it a little bit and it probably evened itself out.

"We feel on Baka (Bakayoko) it was a penalty in the first half and it looked like a penalty for them second half, so maybe we got a bit of the rub of the green as well, but when you have 80 per cent possession and 22 shots you should win the games.”

READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt sends League One play-off rivals Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday message

READ MORE: Jon Dadi Bodvarsson's 'relief' at Bolton fresh start as 'weight off shoulders' after Millwall

For more news about Bolton Wanderers, click here

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