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Ian Evatt has hailed Joel Coleman for stepping into a “high pressure environment” since Nathan Baxter’s injury.
Coleman has started the last 13 matches in Baxter’s absence. He had not previously featured for the Whites in League One.
The 28-year-old made some smart stops during the 5-2 victory against Reading, particularly during a spell in the second half where Bolton were under a spot of pressure.
“It has been extremely challenging circumstances for Joel,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “This game constantly asks you questions – psychologically, technically and tactically – and it has been tough.
“Joel, in a flash, was in the team in a high-pressure environment and expected to win every game. It took him a bit of time to get up to speed and he has done that.
“His performances in the last few games, in particular, have been very good. He has had some challenges but we have all faced challenges, and I am so proud of the way he has come through those challenges and applied himself day in, day out.
“He has never been affected and continued to work hard to improve. The last few games, he has been outstanding.”
Wanderers could move within a point of second-place Derby with a win at Bristol Rovers this weekend.
“Our sole focus has to be on us winning the game,” the manager added. “If we manage to win the game, of course it puts pressure on the opposition.
“But we have to do the job ourselves, no-one is going to do it for us. It is still very tight, I think the result the other night (Derby drawing at Portsmouth) was a positive one for us.
“It took another result away from Derby and if we win all of our games, it means they have to win all of theirs.
“That is the way it is at the moment, there is still a lot of football to be played and we just have to focus on the next one. I know it is an old cliché but each and everyone really is a cup final for us now.”
There have been plenty of twists and turns in the promotion race over the past few months and Evatt reckons it will go down to the wire.
“I think it absolutely is going to, providing we do our job and we have to do that,” he explained.
“I was really pleased with the players on Monday, I thought it was an excellent performance. Scoring five in back-to-back home games is really positive and as I said, it is hard to play well at Stevenage.
“It is hard to play the way we want to play there but other than that, I think performances have been really good.
“I don’t think anyone can question that. It is just about getting the reward and on Monday, we got that.”
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