Bolton boss makes Portsmouth claim as he gains promotion confidence off back of Barnsley draw

Ian Evatt hasn’t given up hope of leapfrogging table-topping Pompey and lifting the League One title at the end of the season.

And the Bolton boss’ confidence in overhauling the six-point gap that currently exists between the division’s top-two sides comes down to two things, in his opinion - the Blues’ tougher run-in and a belief that his Wanderers players are rediscovering their best form.

The Trotters moved into the automatic promotion places and lessened Pompey’s advantage thanks to a dramatic 2-2 draw at fellow promotion-chasers Barnsley on Tuesday night. It’s a result that suited John Mousinho’s side, with the Tykes demonstrating in recent weeks that they, too, have creditable top-two claims. It also kept Bolton at arms length, with more important promotion points dropped at a key stage of the season.

Both the Blues and Wanderers - plus third-placed Derby - now have 10 games remaining to determine their League One fates. And while both have tricky fixtures still to navigate - including fixtures against Paul Warne’s Rams and a head-to-head at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on April 13 - Evatt believes his side’s remaining games are the easier of the two.

Speaking to The Bolton News, he said: ‘At the minute Portsmouth are in the strongest position but, arguably, they have also got the toughest run-in. When you are playing regular football, as we are at the moment, a lot can change in a week. We have seen it ourselves.

‘Obviously, for us it is about putting points on the board with good performances and focusing on what we do. Everything else will take care of itself.

‘It is impossible as a human not to cast a wandering eye on other teams. But I have told the players that it needs to be me, the staff and the fans, they need to concentrate on performing for our club for the last 10 games.’

Bolton’s midweek draw at Barnsley came hot on the heels of a 2-0 win against Cambridge United. That victory stopped the Trotters suffering a third straight defeat and helped put to bed a costly month of February that produced just seven points from a possible 21.

While Pompey head to Blackpool today, Bolton face Exeter at St James Park. Evatt goes into that game confident his players have turned a corner.

He added: ‘I think being in the top two at this point is an incredible achievement, particularly if you throw in the injuries we have had during that time as well. It has been testament to the players that, on the whole, they have managed to find a way to get points on the board.

‘I sense things with the players I’ve got, and I think I’m a pretty good judge on what I am going to get. And I just feel they are coming back to themselves again.

‘The last few games I have sensed that things are starting to click into gear again. Since the turn of the year probably we have been managing games, getting results, but not necessarily being at our best. 

‘I get the feeling now that the players are responding and enjoying their work again. We are in for an exciting end to the season.’