IAN Evatt admits his Wanderers have to work harder to keep rising indiscipline in check.

The Bolton boss says the club will crack down on yellow cards given out for dissent to make sure they do not lose players to unnecessary suspensions.

Gethin Jones was sent off in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Peterborough United for serious foul play but George Thomason also picked up his fifth league caution of the campaign, which means both miss next weekend’s game at Port Vale.

Evatt – who was also booked and says his disciplinary record is under the microscope too – believes some of the 15 yellows dished out to Bolton’s players so far could have been avoided.

“We have talked about ill-discipline and I don’t mind yellow cards for legitimate tackles but when it becomes dissent or something that you have done wrong that has cost the team then there will be punishments,” he told The Bolton News.

“Last week at Reading there were punishments because we got a yellow card for dissent, which affected us, to we have to learn.

“We have to stay more disciplined – all of us, and I am included in that as well.”

Wanderers’ overall record of 15 yellow and two red cards places them ninth in the League One Fair Play table but referees are being urged to clamp down harder on intimidatory behaviour, which has led to a surge of cautions for dissent.

Thomason has collected seven bookings in all competitions and though Evatt feels some have been unjust, he believes the 22-year-old can do better.

“That is something George needs to learn from and develop,” the manager said. “I don’t think all the yellow cards he has received have been avoidable and the one last week at Reading was incredible, but something he needs to learn as a young player is to stay on the right side of it.

“We have lost him and Gethin now for next weekend. Eoin Toal is returning, so fingers crossed we can get one or two more back.”

Wanderers will be without captain Ricardo Santos until mid-October after the defender picked up a hamstring injury late in the 2-1 defeat at Reading last weekend.

Evatt was delighted with the performance of Will Forrester, however, who replaced Santos in the middle of the back three.

He said: “I spoke in the week to you guys about how this time last year we unearthed Eoin Toal and because football gives you opportunities there was one there today for Will to go and show everyone what he can do and I thought he was brilliant.”

The Bolton boss also reserved praise for second-half substitutes Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Dan Nlundulu, who provided a well-timed burst of energy and nearly stole an unlikely win.

“Once we got the lads on, got the ball up the pitch and made it stick we gained some momentum,” he explained. “It only takes one opportunity and we almost had it, unfortunately the ball didn’t quite fall for us, but it shows that when you are being hard to beat that teams can be hard to break down. It isn’t just us that struggles, everyone does, and they have a very potent front four.”