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There will be no time for Wanderers to sit and debate the morality of Tuesday night’s red card confusion, as the visit of neighbouring Wigan Athletic comes quickly into view.
Peter Atherton concedes there could be a hidden consequence of Dion Charles’s controversial dismissal, which left Bolton playing nearly half an hour of football with 10 men.
“It is probably something that people will miss – having to defend backs to the wall a bit – but it has happened and we will have to deal with it,” he told The Bolton News.
“The players need to rest and recover properly because we are looking forward to the weekend.”
The fact that Josh Earl did find a way past Nathan Baxter in stoppage time was a frustration to Wanderers, who had gone more than six hours of football without conceding to that point.
But Atherton was pleased with the resilience shown, even if it took more out of the tank.
“We had a great first half, got the goals, but second half Fleetwood had a bit more of a go, they were throwing bodies forward and we lost grip of the game in the early spell,” he said. “It became a bit ebb and flow, you attack, we’ll attack, and it opened up and became more expansive.
“At 3-0 we should have had a bit more game management to control it better.
“Once the red cards happened then the game changes and the atmosphere around it changes completely. Fleetwood put us under the cosh but fair play, the players put in a shift. We were disappointed to concede the goal but they certainly dug in and earned the value of the three points.”
Atherton was also pleased with Paris Maghoma’s first league start, which included an assist for hat-trick hero Victor Adeboyejo.
“He’s a good player, obviously you can see that technical ability,” he added. “He is learning about us, the way we play and how the gaffer wants him to play in that role. It’s very pleasing – and he is playing catch-up in terms of minutes and understanding exactly what we want from him but that goes for all the new players.
“You have seen the reward for Victor, who has been with us a while now and is coming into some great form, not just the goals but also the way he is helping the team.”
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