MARK Howard reckons Wanderers can cope with the pressure of leading League One.

Phil Parkinson’s side hold a two-point advantage at the top of the table going into this weekend’s trip to Walsall, following their best start to the season since the turn of the millennium.

Three consecutive 1-1 draws have checked progress in the last few weeks but Howard – whose penalty save against MK Dons last weekend was instrumental in keeping his side top – admits teams are raising their game against the Whites.

“It’s frustrating to have dropped points in the last few games but I think it illustrates that opposing teams know what a threat we can be,” he told The Bolton News.

“We have to be able to cope with that, deal with the pressure, if we want to get to where we want to be.

“I just want to kick on, now. We have earned results at some difficult places away from home so far and I want that to continue at Walsall.

“They are a young squad and they like to play football and there are goals right through the team.

“But it’s up to us to raise our game and make sure we stay here.”

Wanderers are developing a reputation within League One for being a dominant physical side, boasting six-foot plus Mark Beevers, David Wheater, Liam Trotter, Jamie Proctor and Gary Madine, among others.

Set pieces have become a profitable resource this season and Howard makes no excuses for using the attributes in the squad.

“We are physical, of course we are, we have got big players,” he said. “The gaffer looks for us to impose ourselves and then we can play.

“First and foremost we’re there to be difficult to break down and hard to beat. We know we have got good players who can change a game for us – Jay Spearing, Josh Vela, Liam Trotter – it’s such a high standard of footballer that we can play whenever we need to.”

Howard also praised Parkinson’s quiet influence on the training ground, which he believes has played a key role in the club’s resurgence.

“He’s honest, is one of the best complements I can pay him,” he told The Bolton News. “He tells you exactly how he wants you to play football. Every manager is different and the way he goes about his business is very quiet around training but when he speaks, you listen. He has that respect around all of the lads. It’s a massive thing.”

Meanwhile, Jay Spearing – suspended for Saturday’s game at the Banks’s Stadium – has won the Sky Bet August goal of the month competition for his strike against Sheffield United.