IAN Evatt refused to complain about Wycombe’s ‘timewasting’ tactics in last night’s defeat at the UniBol – because his side gave them the opportunity.

The Bolton boss reckoned missed chances in the opening half an hour, followed by some poor defending in the build up to Brandon Hanlan’s first goal allowed Gareth Ainsworth’s side to slow the game down.

Referee Peter Wright played 10 added minutes in the first half and another six in the second, reflecting some of the gamesmanship that had gone on in normal time.

Evatt admits his side lost their rhythm completely as a result, struggling to get back into the game after falling behind.

“We speak about it a lot and Wycombe are the masters of game management if you want to call it that,” he said. “If you concede that first goal you give them the opportunity to manage the game accordingly and I think they’re experienced, they’ve just come down from the Championship.

“They did that and frustrated everybody, but it’s important that you don’t lose your focus and I thought we lost our focus and belief of what we’re trying to do because we were too busy getting involved with the antics that were going on around us.

“At that point you have to be even more concentrated. You have to do things even better than before.

“The frustrating thing is when you’re on top in these games, and we were on top in the first half, you have to get that first goal because it changes everything. Goals change games and at the moment we’re not scoring enough.”

Wanderers brought Gethin Jones on in the second half, several hours after the full-back had played for the reserves against Accrington.

Explaining the surprise decision, Evatt said Jones had been withdrawn at half time in the afternoon’s game because he looked ready to return to first team football.

“I was at the game, obviously, and first half, it didn’t feel like Gethin was going to get as much out of it as we thought,” he said. “He looked incredibly fit. We had a conversation and decided to get him off and have him involved tonight and I thought he was excellent when he came on.

“I thought him and Marlon (Fossey) really linked up well, gave us some impetus and some energy and that’s what we’re looking to do really.

“We need people like Gethin who is a leader in this group to step up to the plate.”

New signing Aaron Morley will be available for Saturday’s home game against Ipswich Town, and Evatt hopes fans will see an improvement in results and performances as his new look team start to bed down.

“Aaron will bring some composure and quality in possession,” he said. “I think we have come away from that a little bit.

“Some lads are lacking in confidence. We’ve had a huge change in personnel for the last two or three months and we’ve lacked some consistency.

“The team has been chopped and changed every week, and we have been putting square pegs in round holes, so to speak.

“So for now it’s about getting people in the right positions, strengthening the group. Aaron is a big part of that, I think you can see what the other two can bring as well. They’re all good players and they will come in and make us better.”