Ian Evatt remains convinced that four points is not an unbridgeable gap to the automatic promotion spots in League One.

Saturday’s results at Derby County has unquestionably handed the advantage to the Rams, who have now won their last four league games.

But with seven to play after the international break, starting with a trip to Stevenage on Good Friday, the Bolton boss is sure there is time and ammunition to make a late charge for the top two.

Evatt had wanted his side to be “in touch” with the automatic promotion spots at the break, and feels that his team have hit that target.

“I think we are - obviously a draw would have been better, even though we deserved to win it, but there is plenty of football left to be played, we can still pull it back, don’t worry about that,” he told The Bolton News.

“We have to keep going, win as many as possible and give ourselves the best possible chance.”

Evatt accepts that there is little margin for error and that his side may now need to win all their remaining games to keep pressure on the teams above them.

The likes of Barnsley and Peterborough United have a game in hand, and have also not given up the chase for a top two finish.

Evatt is looking to keep concentration solely on what his side can affect over the next six weeks.

“We just focus on our next result, take care of that business,” he said.

“Teams around us have still go to play each other and pressure gets heightened.

“We wanted to be in touch at the international break and we are still in touch, even though the result makes it a little bit more difficult than we had wanted.

“We have to fight and keep pushing. If we perform with that consistency and quality then we are capable of winning seven games, there is no disputing that. We are very capable.”

Whilst fostering belief that the top two is still achievable within his own playing squad is paramount, the Bolton boss is also keen for the club’s supporters to keep the faith.

Defeat at Derby has been viewed differently across the fanbase – but Evatt is adamant the performance levels his team has shown in recent weeks are good enough to earn the points they need.

“You have to take the emotion out of the result and just look at what the team did,” he said.

“Nobody could say that Derby deserved to win the game. And I know that sometimes when you have had a result like this, it is difficult for the fans to separate that emotion.

“But I am pleased with the way the players played. I am disappointed with the result because it warranted more.

“As I have felt the last couple of weeks, the performances have been coming back. And that one warranted more – we have to focus on that. If we perform like that consistently then we will get results. Sometimes you don’t and that does hurt but we still believe and that is the crucial message to my players.

“There is a long way to go. We have to stay focused, calm and composed and hopefully the fans will stay with us too. There are 21 points to play for, we have to remember that.”