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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

Bolton boss Ian Evatt on Oxford United loss, view on goals conceded & October form verdict

Bolton Wanderers succumbed to defeat at home at the hands of Oxford United.

The visitors took the lead in the first half when Djavan Anderson finished from close range after Wanderers failed to clear. James Trafford stopped it being two with a point blank save from Elliott Moore's header.

Josh Sheehan nearly levelled before the break but Simon Eastwood's smart reflexes kept him out. After the interval, Ciaron Brown added the visitors' second to put them in the driving seat.

READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers player ratings & match report vs Oxford United - Dion Charles good in loss

But Wanderers were handed hope when Dion Charles slotted home to reduce the deficit. However, that proved to be short lived as Steve Seddon got the last touch from a corner to score Oxford's third and which ultimately sealed three points for the visitors with a 3-1 scoreline.

After the game, Wanderers boss Ian Evatt spoke to the press and here's his initial reaction to the defeat, though Wanderers remain in the top six of League One.

Working on the principle you can learn more in defeat than in victory, what have you learned?

“I’ve learned that from the whole month really that we can be loads better than what we’ve been. We’ve not been our fluid selves really for a few games really if we’re honest.

“We’ve won the last two games based off character and energy and not our quality and today, three times too many. We looked devoid of energy, even though we knew Oxford are a better team than what they’ve been showing, they’ve been in every game and they’ve got some really good players.

“We started the game okay but then we looked tired and lethargic, especially against probably the most energetic team in the league in my opinion. That’s the reason we changed the midfield because we knew that would be pivotal and we needed legs in there and we chose three players that hadn’t started the game on Tuesday.

“We weren’t good with the ball, in first contacts, on second balls and we lost the key moments. We gave away three incredibly poor goals. We’ve been doing okay defensively, but I still think the goals we’ve conceded have been really poor.

“I don’t see us scoring goals and getting given goals like we give the opposition. We have to work extremely hard for our goals.”

How do you go about turning that around - you’re still sixth, but you must be really disappointed, but this will be a disappointment to a lot of Wanderers fans?

“Of course it will but we’re in the top six, so it’s not doom and gloom, there’s 30 games left by my book. We’re going to win games, we’re going to lose games, and we’re all disappointed when we lose, but it’s about the process for me and we haven’t shown our true colours I believe this month, so we need to do more work, it’s as simple as that.

“We’ll look at things. We’ve now got a break from the league games and we can have a look at the cup match on Saturday and see where that takes us, but there isn’t a great deal wrong but I still think we can be loads better.”

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