Ian Evatt praises Bolton performance after comfortable win over Doncaster

Boss Ian Evatt celebrated a “good three points” but was left counting the cost of Bolton’s 3-0 League One win over relegation-threatened Doncaster.

Wanderers moved up to 11th with their second successive home league win against 10-man Rovers.

But goals by Eoin Doyle, Elias Kachunga and George Thomason were tempered by Lloyd Isgrove’s hamstring injury and an impending suspension for top scorer Dapo Afolayan.

“I am already thinking about Saturday and what we are going to do,” sighed Evatt.

“Dapo is upset because it was never a yellow card in a million years.”

Rovers should have led before Doyle’s third goal in as many games sparked a disastrous seven-minute spell for the visitors.

Aidan Barlow and ex-Wanderer Joe Dodoo linked up but Jon Taylor’s close-range shot was high and wide.

Joe Olowu’s red card and Kachunga’s goal in stoppage time piled on the agony for the division’s second-bottom side.

Evatt added: “I am pleased with the win but for the first half-hour we looked passive and slow with our play. We put a lot into last Saturday (loss at Wycombe).

“Then we get the goal it sparked us. We have missed Eoin being in those positions and his predatory instincts. Then the players grew in confidence, we took control and won comfortably.”

Evatt insisted Olowu’s dismissal for a tackle on Afolayan wasn’t pivotal and said: “The goal would have lifted us and we looked crisper and sharper.

“For me, it was a red card. When you can’t make a genuine attempt to play the ball it is endangering an opponent. It was a kick at Dapo and the right decision.”

Doncaster boss Richie Wellens claimed Doyle’s seventh of the season was offside and was booked for protesting.

He said: “For 36 minutes we were by far the better team both in possession and out of possession.

“We should have been two or three up. Jon Taylor has said ‘sorry’ to the players because it was an absolute guaranteed goal.

“There were a couple of other occasions when we should have scored. For me, we should have been three-up.

“Then another goal that was offside. It was quite an easy decision to make.

“It is difficult for referees and assistants but every single week we are on the end of these decisions when the referee has a big impact on our scoreline.

“To top it off he then sends off Joe for a professional foul. I get it but it is by no means dangerous. He has just scooped his leg round and tripped him up and a standard yellow card.

“He has probably been influenced by their bench surrounding him and the opposition players surrounding him. When you get those decisions you lose the will to live as a football manager.”