Bolton boss Ian Evatt has discussed his side’s defeat to Derby County in a huge League One promotion encounter.
Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt believes the race for League One promotion is far from over after his side’s defeat to Derby County. The Rams edged out their rivals in a tense encounter at Pride Park, which required the whole squad to chip in.
An early injury to Dwight Gayle came as a major blow to Paul Warne and his team, as Bolton started on the front foot. Joe Wildsmith‘s reflex save to deny Jon Dadi Bodvarsson ensured the scores stayed level at the break.
A triple change at half-time gave Derby some more control and eventually helped them take the lead. A corner kick proved the deciding factor as substitute Kane Wilson headed the ball into the back of the net.
Ian Evatt claim
It was a huge win for Derby that ensured they move four points clear of Bolton in the race for automatic promotion. There are still seven huge games left though, something Evatt is trying to channel into his squad going forward.
“Football is sometimes unfair and it feels unfair today,” Evatt told the official Bolton website. “I’m really scratching my head as how we’ve come away from here with nothing. We had large spells of dominance and really controlled the game but just didn’t take our moments.
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“We had the better moments, the better chances in the game, and their keepers was arguably the man of the match for them. We’ve lost out on the one moment in the second half where we conceded.
“It feels really hard. It feels harsh and we’re bitterly disappointed, but deep down I know this isn’t over. We believe it isn’t over and we’ll keep calm, keep focused and we’ll keep fighting until the end. This group is capable of winning seven straight games and if we do I believe will be promoted.”
The League One promotion race
The promotion race in League One continues to take twists and turns, but Portsmouth and Derby were the clear winners from the latest round of fixtures. With seven games to go, the Rams still have plenty of tough fixtures to come.
READ MORE: Derby County’s next five fixtures compared to League One rivals after huge Bolton victory
It will require some big performances still, but it appears as though Warne’s side have put themselves in an ideal position while the likes of Bolton are looking at having to win all of their remaining matches of the season.