Bolton boss Ian Evatt is amazed by the goalscoring potential of his side after they strolled to a 5-1 win against Harrogate in the FA Cup second round.
After resting his first-choice front two of Dion Charles and Victor Adeboyejo, he saw replacement Jon Dadi Bodvarsson crash a first-half hat-trick and Dan Nlundulu add another two shortly after half-time.
That means Bolton have now scored 104 goals in 2023, levelling a club record that has stood since unchallenged since 1934.
“The two centre-forwards were excellent, they were the biggest plus of the day by miles,” he said.
“We made changes today but I have massive faith in the two of them, they are excellent players, and I thought at times today they were completely unplayable.
“Jon will probably get the headlines for the hat-trick but Dan was excellent, his work outside the penalty box was really pleasing too.
“We have got a very good group of strikers at this club and there are goals in every single one of them.”
Aside from Bodvarsson’s and Nlundulu’s goalscoring exploits, Evatt was nonplussed about his side’s performance overall.
Bolton had kept seven straight clean sheets in all competitions leading into the game, equalling a club record from 1900, but George Thomson’s strike before the break sent the counter back to zero.
“I’m not trying to nitpick,” he said. “But I thought overall it was OK. Nothing spectacular.
“I am happy with the result, happy we are through, but I thought we were a bit loose.
“We were sloppy at times and can be better. I was really disappointed with that goal because we wanted the record as our own, it was a really silly one to give away and I think it was coming at the time because we’d made some poor errors at times.”
League Two club Harrogate provided pockets of resistance but manager Simon Weaver was left feeling shortchanged by the performance.
“You have got to raise your game against top-end League One opposition,” he said. “Bolton are very strong, they have a great squad and I am sure they will be a Championship club next season. But I expected a lot more from our team. I thought we fell short and didn’t really lay a glove on them this afternoon.
“We weren’t without our opportunities. Other than the goal, we had plenty of opportunities to seize the moment and take advantage of, but we didn’t.
“There was maybe a lack of belief in the final third. But that takes a bit more poise, a bit more confidence and people grabbing the moment like Tommo did for his fine finish. Defensively, it was a shambles at times. Conceding five goals by 55 minutes it a source of great embarrassment.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Max Dowman : look and learn Gabi Arsenal 2 Champions Mikel Merino : Me again When Gabriel met Gyokeres YOU CAN CHANGE THE MAN BUT NOT THE IDEA This Rashford Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, NoContextChe1, FootballLaughss)...
The 24-year-old has been locked in talks with the North London club over a new deal with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2027.Several reports have suggested that Real Madrid are keeping tabs on the situation as they seek to bolster their aging and injury-prone backline.When asked about his future and whether he will be signing a new deal at the Emirates, Saliba gave a positive ...
Bayern Munich have agreed to a €75 million ($88 million) deal to sign winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool, sources told ESPN.Diaz missed Liverpool's friendly defeat against AC Milan on Saturday due to ongoing speculation linking him with a move away from Anfield this summer and has now been granted permission to leave the Reds' preseason tour of Asia.Sources told ESPN that Diaz first signaled a ...
The Champions League winners have been in talks with Donnarumma, 26, over a new deal for the past few months but are growing frustrated with the lack of progress.Donnarumma will enter into the final year of his contract with PSG in 2025-26 and the club are now coming to terms with the fact they may have to sign a replacement in the near future.According to L'Equipe, they have agreed personal terms...
Liverpool preparing 'record proposal' for Isak after Diaz exitLiverpool are reportedly lining up a 'record proposal' for Newcastle United star Alexander Isak following the almost confirmed sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. The Reds are keen to reinvest the £65 million fee from Diaz's exit and the Swedish striker is now their top target. The 25-year-old has ruled out a switch to Saudi Arabia...
England ratings Spain GFXAfter winning Euro 2022 in incredibly dramatic fashion, the holders took it to another level by beating La Roja on penalties to keep the trophyIt had to be Chloe Kelly, didn't it? After delivering the Lionesses' first European Championship title three years ago at Wembley in what seemed to be the most dramatic of circumstances, the winger took it one step further on Sunday...
Vissel Kobe v FC Barcelona - Preseason FriendlyBarcelona completed the loan move for Marcus Rashford from Manchester United earlier this week, and the England winger has already made his debut for Hansi Flick's side. Rashford came on as a substitute in the Catalan side's 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe in Japan, and the 27-year-old loanee has received loads of love from cules for his strong showing off t...
Juventus FC v Wydad AC: Group G - FIFA Club World Cup 2025Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly remain interested in Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani after ruling out signing Alexander Isak.WHAT HAPPENED?According to Gazetta Dello Sport, Juventus are expected to send a new offer for Kolo Muani but United and Chelsea could provide stiff competition for the 26-year-old. This comes days aft...
The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" - ArrivalsThe Chicago Fire defender and Grammy Award-winning artist participated in a post-match jersey exchange at Soldier FieldOcean Drive Art Of The Party 2024WHAT HAPPENEDSam Rogers and Chance the Rapper completed a jersey swap on the pitch at Soldier Field following Chicago Fire's 1-0 home victory against the New York Red Bulls....
LA Galaxy v San Diego FCThe former USMNT star called on MLS leadership to make changes to the league's season schedule ahead of the FIFA World CupInter Miami CF v FC CincinnatiWHAT HAPPENEDWith the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, former MLS star Alexi Lalas says the league should capitalize on the opportunity and implement the much-discussed change to a fall-to-spring schedule, aligning with...
- 1 Chelsea Deny Late Move to Hijack Man United Deal for Bryan Mbeumo
- 2 AC Milan Reach Agreement with Brighton for Pervis Estupinan Transfer
- 3 Loris Karius lifts lid on relationship with Diletta Leotta
- 4 Jack Grealish shares sweet holiday snaps as girlfriend stuns in a yellow maxi dress
- 5 Newcastle Look to Hijack Spurs Move for Evann Guessand Amid Transfer Stalemate
- 6 Man City make move for Jules Kounde
- 7 Enzo Fernandez agrees Real Madrid move
- 8 Man City to re-sign Trafford in $36M deal
- 9 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 10 Transfer news & rumours LIVE