IAN Evatt believes Marcus Maddison is ready to make a major impact on Wanderers’ promotion run-in.

The winger has started just three games since signing on loan from Charlton Athletic at the start of February.

But after impressing Ian Evatt with his last two appearances off the bench against Colchester United and Newport County, the Bolton boss has hinted that he is ready to give Maddison another shot as his side try to bounce back to winning ways against Harrogate on Saturday.

“I thought that was the brightest and best we have seen from Marcus,” Evatt said of his appearance off the bench at Rodney Parade. “He was doing everything we think he can do and I think he is going to be a big player for us moving forwards.”

Wanderers have failed to score in two successive games for the first time since October but Evatt saw enough improvement over the Easter weekend to feel confident it will not be a lasting issue.

“The first half team did everything but go in three or four up,” he said. “Everything we spoke about and everything we’d asked them to do, they did it and more.

“We’re frustrated but we’re not going to get downbeat because we’ve got seven big games to go and we’re massively still in it.”

Harrogate come to the UniBol having failed to score in their last four games, taking one point from the last available 12.

Evatt is confident that with a little more ruthlessness in front of goal, Bolton can get quickly back on track in their automatic promotion chase.

“That looked more like it from us,” he said. “We are not just talking about chances, we are talking about gilt-edged chances that you very rarely see missed, and we’re all surprised that they were missed.

“But I am more than happy with what I saw there and I don’t think there will be any hangover from the result.”