Evatt: Let's Play It Cool

Ian Evatt is looking for cool heads all around as Wanderers aim to force their way back into the top six.

Mid-week results saw the Whites fall out of the early League One play-off places on goal difference.

But Wanderers remain level on points with sixth-placed Barnsley and face the Tykes on Saturday with the chance to go as high as fourth in the table if they can bounce back from successive away defeats with a sixth home win of the season.

“It’s important we don’t have knee-jerk (reactions). We must have some perspective. Two bad results in five days doesn’t make us a really bad team,” said Evatt.

“And it’s not like those games weren’t really close and the second game we should have won comfortably and, on another day, would have won comfortably.

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“It’s important we stay calm throughout good times and bad and I think we’ve done that this week.

“We’ve kept our heads down and worked extremely hard. We know exactly where we need to improve.

“We have to stay grounded. We’re going to have good times and we’re going to have bad times.

“Just because we won four on the trot – beating Peterborough and MK Dons – doesn’t mean we’re the world’s best team and we’re going to win every game.

“We’re still a very good team. We’ve still got the best defensive record in the league and we’ve got lots to be positive about. I have no issues with where we’re at.

“We understand the two defeats were disappointing but we’re still where we want to be.

“If we win on Saturday that will definitely put us in the top six and that’s where we want to be.”

Wanderers will have Kyle Dempsey back from injury to bolster their midfield options against Barnsley after he missed last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers with a hip problem.

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Eoin Toal will not make the squad after picking up a minor thigh problem in Tuesday’s B team win over Lincoln City in the Central League Cup.

But Evatt has no other injury concerns as his side looks to build on their impressive home form and regain their momentum after the single-goal losses to Forest Green and Cheltenham Town.

“I don’t think there’s a lot wrong,” added the Wanderers’ boss.

“There were three halves of football, which were disappointing - both halves against Cheltenham and the first half against Forest Green.

“In the second half we looked more like it. We could easily have scored four or five and on another day we would have. It was complete domination.

“And hopefully this Saturday we will see a lot more like what we can do and what we can achieve, and we all know what we’re capable of.

“Other than those last two defeats it’s been a pretty good start and we’ve got four more home games this month, so we have a chance to go out there and show what we can do.”

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