Kyle Dempsey is determined to build on his impressive performance against Accrington and nail down a place in the Bolton side.

The midfielder caught the eye as the Whites fought back from 2-0 down to clinch an important three points on the road against the Reds.

Dempsey had a tough start to his time at the UniBol due to a series of injuries but is now aiming to build momentum ahead of the upcoming home games against Burton and Oxford.

He said: “The start of my Bolton career was just injury after injury. I couldn’t really shake off these knocks and niggles, whether it was a groin or a hamstring or anything like that. I just wasn’t fully fit.

“Obviously, I have had that chance now in the period I have been here to get to know everyone. You can’t come in a new group and sort of demand what I demanded at Gillingham and be as vocal as I can because you have got to get to know the lads. You have got to find your feet first.

“I have got that relationship with the lads now, I think they are an excellent group. There are certain games where it is required. Obviously, I am not the captain here or the vice but it is a responsibility for myself, especially now as a senior player.

“In games like (Accrington) where they are tough and you have got to be resilient, you have got to rally the troops around you. The senior lads, I think we did that. The whole group did that.

“Hopefully, that is a massive turning point from us going away from home - that we can have the confidence that even when you are 2-0 down in the game, we have got that much quality in the dressing room that you can come back in those games.

“If we just deliver what we can deliver and the gameplan the gaffer sets out, we are more than confident that we can beat anyone.”

The former Gillingham man has had to be patient for opportunities at times this season due to Wanderers’ strength in depth in the middle of the pitch.

Ian Evatt’s team selections aren’t about to get any easier with Josh Sheehan now back in the fold, but Dempsey is relishing the competition for places.

 “I think it can only be healthy for the team,” he added. “We have got that many good players in each position. You see the strikers, the defenders, wing-backs, midfielders - we have got that many options.

“Even the team that plays in the cup games, the side that gets put out there is an incredible team. I think the competition for places can only be healthy for the squad.

“You know if you are going to have an off couple of weeks that you aren’t going to keep your starting place, and that makes it so much better for training.

“The standards in training are through the roof at the minute because you have got lads pushing to get in the team, lads pushing to keep their place. It is only going to be good for us going forward.”