MATT Gilks believes Wanderers will react in the right way to defeat at Newport and regain momentum in the promotion race.

Ian Evatt’s men suffered their first defeat in 14 games on Monday, ending the club’s best unbeaten run since 1998/99.

The Whites slipped into fourth on goals scored but with scores elsewhere being largely favourable the goalkeeper feels there is plenty left to play for.

“We have gone 14 unbeaten which is credit to ourselves, so these things happen,” he said. “You are not going to win every single one.

“We know it was an important one we lost there but thankfully some other results have gone for us and there are seven games left, 21 points up for grabs so we are going to make sure they come back to Bolton.

“It’s very tight up there. We check the table probably more than we should but we know it is in our hands in how we train, how we do our work on the opposition. We have to make sure we do everything possible to get those victories.”

Defeat at Newport was tough to take, given Wanderers’ domination in the early stages.

“We are bitterly disappointed as you can imagine. We had chances in the first half and could have been two or three up at half time. They are just not going in for us at the minute,” Gilks said.

“You have got a striker in Nicky Maynard who has a wealth of experience who followed in what we think wasn’t a free kick in the first place. But he was in the right place at the right time.”

Had Wanderers been as clinical in the early stages of the game it would have been a very different story. Kieran Lee missed three good chances in the opening 45 minutes and looked crestfallen at the final whistle.

“He wants to score and he’s 32 but runs around like he is 15. He’s a great fella in the changing room and we have a lot of respect for him,” he said.

“I just felt things didn’t go our way, nothing more than that.

“The manager’s message after that game was that football sometimes doesn’t give you what you deserve.

“We will look at the video to see where we could have done better and hopefully implement that in the games to come.”

Wanderers come back to the UniBol this weekend to host Harrogate with Gilks hoping the team can get back on the goal trail after drawing blanks in their last two games.

“Obviously confidence has been high with the results we have had but Colchester was another one we should have won, it’s just about finding the back of the net now,” he said.

“I think one game will come along and we will be three or four up by half time.

“We will keep going, the gaffer will keep on at us. Harrogate is a tough game but one we’re looking to win.”