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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

'Found solutions' - Key positive Bolton Wanderers aim to take away from home for Fleetwood clash

Ian Evatt believes Bolton Wanderers are adapting their approach away from home which is working to good impact of late and they will hope to continue that this weekend against Fleetwood Town.

Wanderers make the trip to the Fylde Coast this weekend seeking three points against Fleetwood Town. The Whites sit seventh in the table and just outside the play-offs on goal difference in a tight battle in the top half of the standings.

Brown's Fleetwood meanwhile sit 16th in the table and are eight points clear of the drop zone. They are unbeaten in their last four league games and will be aiming to extend that run when they take on Wanderers.

READ MORE: 'Should be up there' - Fleetwood Town boss Scott Brown issues Bolton Wanderers assessment

Last time out, the Whites picked up a point on the road against Cambridge United with a goalless draw. The encounter in the past, on a tighter pitch away from home, where Bolton have come unstuck.

But Evatt's side stood firm against the U's, with goalkeeper James Trafford also being called upon at the death to maintain the deadlock. The Whites also went close to claiming three points, as Gethin Jones failed to convert a header, before Kyle Dempsey was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Evatt does not believe the Whites are being pragmatic or being direct, as such, but have found solutions away from home and he believes they are on the right track for success on the road.

He said: “All we are trying to do is give the players solutions. We can look historically at teams who we are playing against, their set-ups and what they do against certain types of teams, and plan for that. But you might get there on a Saturday and the gameplan goes out the window.

"All of a sudden, they are high pressing or they are camping. Then you have to find the solution. ‘The gaffer has told us we need to do this’, and then there might not be space there.

"It is just giving them the right solutions for the right game so they know, ‘if they do that, we do this’. We are still a way down that, it is a work in progress.

"But we have found solutions. I think on tight pitches and tight grounds, it is not being more pragmatic so to speak. We are never going to be a direct team, but it is playing forwards with quality and gaining momentum and territory.

"I think we did that really well (against Cambridge). I personally want us to be a lot better in possession than we were first half, but I did think the way we grew into the game – without the red card I do believe we would have gone on to win. I think we had all the momentum in that second half.

"We were starting to create chances, and for all the chances we are talking about our centre-forwards scoring, you will not get a better one than Gethin’s from that set-play. If that goes in, we are winning away from home with a set-play.

"That is how close it was, so we have to take things with a wry smile every now and again. As I said, just keep confident, keep believing. I do think we are on the right track. We will go on Saturday and do the very best we can.”

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