IAN Evatt reckons managing Wanderers has put years on his looks!

Bolton are developing a reputation as League Two’s Johnny-come-latelys – and are currently the division’s most effective side in the final 15 minutes.

The Whites delivered a sting in the tail to win their last two games at Mansfield and Southend, results which have helped to recover a disastrous start to the campaign.

Evatt accepts an upturn in form has raised hopes of a promotion push but with Scunthorpe United preparing to visit the UniBol on Tuesday night, he is looking to keep feet firmly planted on the floor.

“I’ve been here eight months and there’s one or two grey hairs appearing already, but that’s the life of a manager and especially at the life of this football club,” he laughed.

“We’ve won a few games and now the expectations’ back again and we’ve got to manage those expectations, but we’re in a good place, the team’s improving, we’ve a very good competitive squad, and the morale around the whole club is excellent and really improving. There’s a lot of positives but we’ve got a long, long way to go.”

Shaun Miller’s bizarre goal sealed victory at Roots Hall on Saturday, capping a week in which the team had travelled some 700 miles and claimed six points on two challenging pitches.

Evatt was proud of his players’ efforts on both counts.

“I think the Mansfield game was excellent for emotional reasons really,” he said. “I think it’s the first time a Bolton Wanderers team has come back from two down since 2004, so that’s an excellent statistic.

“But most pleasing was Saturday. I think if you look at Manfield’s result on Saturday getting beat 3-0 at home and I listened to Nigel Clough’s interview after the game, just for entertainment purposes more than anything else, but he made a clear reference to the amount of effort they had to put in to play against us on Wednesday and the energy that took out of his team.

“They got beat on Saturday and for us to go against Southend, who have had some good results of late and they’ve really picked up and it’s not an easy place to go, to dig in the way we did and find a way to win was excellent.

“People can say about the lucky goal and they can say that all they want but there’s many goals up and down English football that are lucky.

“We could have and should have scored two or three in the first half but the effort, commitment, desire and energy they had to put in on such a long trip after such an emotional game on Wednesday was really pleasing.”

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