Ian Evatt revealed the Bolton Wanderers dressing room team talk he gave which helped inspire his side's comeback against Tranmere Rovers in the Papa Johns Trophy.
A Wanderers side that had 10 changes made to it from Saturday's win against Peterborough United went behind at Prenton Park thanks to Kieron Morris breaking the deadlock. Paul Lewis added a second for the hosts before half-time.
But Wanderers responded following their poor first half showing and halved the deficit through Kieran Sadlier's classy finish on the turn. And youngster Conor Carty came off the bench to ensure the clash went to penalties following a 2-2 draw.
READ MORE:Bolton Wanderers player ratings vs Tranmere Rovers - Josh Sheehan, Kieran Sadlier & Conor Carty good
Lloyd Isgrove saw his penalty saved as the hosts won 5-4 to claim the extra point for a shootout victory. However Wanderers still top the Northern Group B with four points overall.
Evatt revealed the question he asked his side in the dressing room at half-time of the encounter as the players knew they had not performed to the required standards. They were told how things were after not earning the right to play in the first half but eventually managed to take a point from the encounter, which keeps their fate in the competition in their own hands.
He said: “I asked them ‘do you want me to tell you how it really is or do you want me to sugarcoat it?’ and they said ‘no, give it us’ so I gave it them and they’re all in agreement, they knew. Second half it wasn’t down to some brilliant play, though I thought first 20 minutes we were actually very good, but it was more down to energy, intensity, speed, tempo - all of those ugly things that got us back in the game.
“It’s never like that here in particular, but sometimes you get lured into that because we’ve been playing so well and training so well, you get lured into that ‘we’re going to turn up here, we’re going to be able to play our football and they’re just going to allow it to happen and then we’ll come out of top because we’ve got more quality than them’.
“But it does not matter what level you play at, you have to earn the right first and foremost, you have to earn the right to play that way, and we just didn’t earn the right in the first half.
“It matters because we’re a point less, but the most important thing is we didn’t lose the game in 90 minutes so we get a point and gain a point for that which keeps everything in our hands, which is great.”
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