Bolton boss Ian Evatt was full of admiration for his players after they moved to second in League One with a 2-0 win at Fleetwood.
In swirling winds and driving rain, Evatt hailed his side’s application as they dominated their hosts and took the points with second-half goals by Dion Charles and Victor Adeboyejo.
And the manager could not disguise his delight after Wanderers completed 2023 with three straight wins.
“I’m really proud of the players tonight,” he said. “That was a really professional, clinical performance in awful conditions.
“We always look to the past to judge our journey and how far we’ve come. I think in years gone by we wouldn’t have performed as we did tonight in these conditions.
“We didn’t panic in the first half when we had all the pressure, all the shots and all the domination.
“The goals didn’t go in but at half-time we just spoke about being calm and executing what we’re capable of in the second half and we went out and did that and we kept them at arm’s length in awful conditions, so that’s a proper away performance.
“We’re not always going to have it our own way but what we’ve managed to do is find different ways to win football matches. These conditions tonight are as bad as it gets for football and the way we want to play but I was so proud of the way we went about our business.
“We know what we need to do on nights like these, we know when to build and play and be expansive and we also know when to utilise the front lads, play into good areas and play for territory.
“There’s no right or wrong way to win football matches, it’s all about winning and that’s what we’ve done.”
Fleetwood manager Lee Johnson admitted his side are struggling at present, having not won since mid-November, but he insists they can drag themselves away from trouble in the second half of the season.
“It was a tough game,” he said. “We knew the quality that Bolton have and they’re a well established side that are up there. They’ve had time to build, it’s a good club, an ex-Premier League club, but we felt at half-time that we had a good chance.
“We’d defended ever so well in treacherous conditions and the spirit was good, we’re not affecting boxes anywhere near enough, we know that, and we have to because obviously wins are very important.
“But we came out for the second half believing conditions were in our favour. You’ve got to give credit to Bolton, but in the end we were masters of our own downfall again, with individual errors.
“And that feels a bit like the story of the calendar year for us and if we want to get out of trouble they’re the bits that we have to stop.
“I’m certainly up for the fight. We’ve got 23 games now and we’re going to need a number of wins so the first thing we need to do is stop the individual errors.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today.Man Utd have reached an agreement to sign Byran Mbeumo Who do you think will get there first? Barcelona in advanced talks to sign Marcus Rashford "ERAs come to an end... and some begin with disaster." We all wanted to grow up fast… only to see kids these days doing things.. What were you doing at 17-18? Cunha : Help MebeumeManchester United's signing poli...
Marcus Rashford looks set to get his dream transfer from Man Utd to Barcelona.Marcus Rashford is set to join Barcelona.Marcus Rashford is on the brink of a dream move to Barcelona after the La Liga champions struck an agreement with Manchester United, according to reports. The 27-year-old forward, one of five first-team players exiled from Ruben Amorim's pre-season plans, looks set to land at the ...
Eddie Howe has spoken about the possibility of Alexander Isak joining Liverpool.Eddie Howe was quizzed on Alexander Isak following Newcastle's defeat to CelticEddie Howe has insisted that he is 'confident' about Alexander Isak staying at Newcastle despite significant interest from Liverpool. The forward has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield and appears to be facing an uncertain future. Li...
Liverpool have submitted a €90 million (£78m/$105m) bid to Eintracht Frankfurt for French striker Hugo Ekitike. Sky Sports have revealed that an agreement in principle has been established between Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt, laying the groundwork for what could soon become one of the most significant deals of the summer.Liverpool are determined to get EkitikeHave submitted a S...
Gyokeres' father 'emotionally distraught' as Arsenal transfer stallsArsenal’s pursuit of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has hit an impasse, with discussions over the transfer structure reaching a frustrating deadlock. Talks with Sporting Lisbon have made little headway in recent days, resulting in growing despondency among those closest to the player.Barcelona linked with shock move for Rea...
Harry Kane Bayern Munich 2025 FIFA Club World CupBayern Munich’s hunt for a capable understudy to Harry Kane has hit a roadblock, as VfB Stuttgart reportedly continue to resist their efforts to sign emerging forward Nick Woltemade. The Bavarian giants have already made two formal bids, but both were swiftly turned down by Stuttgart, who are holding firm on their valuation of the 23-year-old ...
Manchester City FC v AFC Bournemouth - Premier LeagueKevin De Bruyne says it is "an honour" that his new club Napoli allowed him to train in the No.10, which has been retired to honour Diego Maradona.WHAT HAPPENED?De Bruyne was speaking at his media unveiling. He joined Napoli on a free transfer last month after spending the last decade with Manchester City. As a welcome gesture, the club arranged...
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v FC Bayern München - BundesligaEx-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka is reportedly set to snub a Premier League return with Sunderland despite mounting speculation about his future at Bayer Leverkusen. The 32-year-old moved to the Bundesliga in 2023 after a lengthy seven-year stint in North London, where he developed into a combative leader for the Gunners. Since then he has playe...
Viktor Gyokeres ArsenalArsenal’s pursuit of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has hit an impasse, with discussions over the transfer structure reaching a frustrating deadlock. Talks with Sporting Lisbon have made little headway in recent days, resulting in growing despondency among those closest to the player.WHAT HAPPENED?As the deal continues to stall, the once-promising move to north London...
Germany France Euro 2025Germany overcame the first-half dismissal of Katrin Hendrich, to beat France 6-5 on penalties after battling to a 1-1 draw after extra time.France v Germany - UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Quarter-FinalTELL ME MOREAll hope looked lost for Germany just 10 minutes into the game, when a VAR check, seemingly out of nowhere, revealed Kathrin Hendrich had inexplicably pulled Greidge Mbo...
- 1 Brooklyn Beckham's ex inspires Palmer as Chelsea crush PSG
- 2 Spurs get huge lift in Morgan Gibbs-White row
- 3 Model skips Lamine Yamal's party over 'weird demands'
- 4 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 5 Jude Bellingham finally undergoes surgery on recurrent dislocated shoulder injury as Real Madrid confirm successful procedure for England star ahead of long layoff
- 6 Noni Madueke parties at Wireless with Jadon Sancho
- 7 Xabi Alonso sends warning to Real Madrid stars after PSG thrashing
- 8 Chelsea star’s stunning model Wag captured 'best UFO footage ever'
- 9 Man United ace Alejandro Garnacho rejects Cristiano Ronaldo reunion
- 10 Daily Laugh - Watch and remember the kids