Ian Evatt was delighted to see his side overcome the hard yards to deliver a ‘huge win’ in the promotion race, writes Pete Oliver.
Wanderers recorded a first league win in three games as they extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a 2-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.
Gethin Jones’ first-half header and an injury-time strike from Jon Dadi Bodvarsson propelled Evatt’s men to the points which keep them just outside League One’s top two with games in hand on the sides in the automatic promotion places.
And Evatt praised his players’ fortitude in over-coming an in-form Wycombe side to make it 11 wins – the most in the division – for the season.
The Wanderers’ boss said: “Wycombe are a team that have lost once since Boxing Day. They're in a really good run of form, have kind of reverted to type a little bit and ask you lots of questions and I thought we stood up to be counted magnificently at times.
“We’ve had to show bottle, we’ve had to show character and we’ve had to show fight, but they are all the qualities of a good team. We can show some good detail and quality on the ball as well, but tonight we knew with the way Wycombe are, and the questions they ask you, we were going to have to do the hard yards and I thought we did that really well.
“In the first half we rode our luck a little bit and looked like we were a little bit fearful but the second half was much better. We created one or two good opportunities and defended the box a lot better until the last kick of the game. But that's a really tough game. It always is against Wycombe and I'm delighted to get three points. It’s a huge win but every one is a huge win now.”
Evatt added: “It's not always going to be amazing and aesthetically pleasing. You have to find different ways to win football matches and the team once again stood up to be counted. That point on Saturday now looks a very good one because we backed it up with the win tonight.
“We've got 16 more huge games to go. We're in a very strong position. Yes, people have won around us, but if we take care of our own business no one can stop us, which is what we want. Now for us, it's just keep finding ways to win football matches.”
Wycombe pulled a goal back from the penalty spot with virtually the last kick of the match but Wanderers had the points in the bag thanks to first league goals of the season from Jones and Bodvarsson.
Jones powered home a header following a corner after half an hour before Bodvarsson came off the bench to flick home a lovely second to make it seven goals in total for the season.
“I'm delighted for them both,” said Evatt, who confirmed that top scorer Dion Charles will have a check on the knee injury which forced his substitution in the second half.
“Again, it shows the importance of set plays. It was an excellent header and I'm delighted for Geth. Jon has been working hard and not had much luck. He had a goal disallowed at Carlisle for offside, which was clearly onside, and again him and Victor came on and gave us everything.
“They were a handful and a threat and it was a great finish from Jon and I'm really pleased for him and he deserved that goal.”