JON Dadi Bodvarsson urged Wanderers not to lose faith in their automatic promotion chase after Saturday’s defeat at Derby County.

The Icelander saw a golden chance saved at point blank range in one of the defining points of a tight game at Pride Park, eventually won by a Kane Wlson header in the 78th minute.

Bolton have now slipped four points behind the Rams in third and also have Peterborough United three points behind them in fourth, with a game in hand.

But with some key fixtures against Stevenage, Portsmouth and Posh among seven still left in the tank, Bodvarsson says that the disappointment felt this weekend must be quickly shelved.

“It was flat in there afterwards,” he said after the final whistle. “We had dominated the whole game and all they were really after was a set piece moment. It is very frustrating that we conceded in that manner and lose the game on that.

“We were in key positions a lot of times but we didn’t take the chances and it is frustrating.

“We got a great result against Oxford and I felt great coming into the game, I felt like we played well. We played good football and dominated the game at a tough away ground.

“And for me it was a moment of time when we’d score the first goal. It just didn’t happen.

“We can’t dwell on it now. We have to use the international break to regroup. There is still a chance there.”

Bodvarsson thought he had given Wanderers some tangible reward for their control of the first half when he connected with Nat Ogbeta’s cross, bringing a fine reflex save from keeper Wildsmith.

“I genuinely don’t know how it wasn’t a goal,” he said. “It was one of those where the contact I made on the ball, I was so confident it was going in. I looked up and he’d saved it.

“It is a game of margins, I had that chance, we had other situations where we could have created more solid chances, if that makes sense.

“That is a disappointing part, this is finished now and we have seven games to go. We just need to regroup and have that ‘nothing to lose’ momentum now. Go for six games and see where it takes us.”

Wanderers now have an international break to gather their thoughts, and potentially have goalkeeper Nathan Baxter and top-scorer Dion Charles back in contention for a place in the side.

The club expect to hear early this week about the pair, who have seen specialists about wrist and knee injuries, respectively.

Bodvarsson says the club has to use their break well, with a game at Stevenage on March 29 their next chance to take to the field.

“I was just telling the lads that we completely focus on ourselves, we need to stop looking at the table, stop looking at how other teams are doing, it is just about us as simple as that sounds.

“The performance here was very good, we just didn’t win the game, and that is unfortunate, but we keep playing well like that and it will happen for us, I am sure.”