Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink proud of Burton players after shock win over Bolton

Posted Wednesday, February 16, 2022 by PA

Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was proud of his team as he saw them blitz League One’s form side Bolton with three goals in seven first-half minutes to run out 3-1 winners.

The long throw of Bolton-born Tom Hamer proved a deadly weapon, Joe Powell sweeping in at the back post to open the scoring after 11 minutes before the former West Ham youngster delivered two corners that saw skipper John Brayford head home twice in the following seven minutes.

“We have been waiting for that kind of start and that sort of performance,” Hasselbaink said.

“I thought we played the conditions really well. With the set pieces and the long throw-ins we gave them a problem and the execution was really good. But that wasn’t all. Our energy, willingness to press and get close and win our duels was really good.

“We know in the second half they are going to get a rollicking and we know they are going to come out different and they did and they have people coming off the bench that made them fresh and stronger and at times we were on the back foot.”

Hasselbaink was wary of a response from Wanderers looking to keep their play-off hopes alive against his predominantly young side, but the visitors could only score via substitute Dion Charles’ stoppage-time effort.

“At times we played the result more than the game in front of us and that is all part of learning and understanding the game,” added the Burton boss, who praised Brayford for his superb defensive performance.

“We spoke about being proud of being a defender and putting your body on the line and John epitomised that. What a captain.”

Bolton boss Ian Evatt pointed to seven minutes of madness that left his side facing a tough task to break into League One’s top six after their defeat.

He admitted: “It’s about not dealing with set plays. Two corners and a long throw.

“I picked the biggest team I possibly could because I knew what was coming. Everyone could see the conditions and we knew what they were about and we just didn’t, individually, do our jobs and deal with our men.

“That has cost us the game, We have got to hold ourselves accountable for not doing the basics. It’s annoying and frustrating.

“Every set piece they had in the first half they looked like they were going to score.”

Defeat was a blow to Wanderers’ hopes of gatecrashing the play-offs but Evatt was not about to give up hope.

He said: “We set a number to ourselves within our own four walls to have an opportunity. Losing this game doesn’t really change that. It just makes it that bit harder.”