Ian Evatt says Wanderers will appeal the red card given to George Thomason in the final moments of last night’s 5-1 Carabao Cup victory against Salford City.

The midfielder was given a straight red card by referee John Brookes for a foul on Luke Bolton with only seconds remaining of a one-sided first-round game.

Thomason currently stands to miss Saturday’s game at Port Vale but Evatt claimed his player had “won the ball” with a one-footed challenge.

“I think the red card spoiled his night,” said the Bolton boss. “It hasn’t spoiled mine because I have told him he does not need to worry.

“These things happen in football, decisions get made and hopefully the right decision will be made and we can get it overturned, but I thought he was outstanding on the night.”

Evatt has also confirmed the reason behind Declan John’s half-time substitution for Jack Iredale.

“Declan was just feeling unwell,” he added. “A bit of stomach cramps and slight dizziness, so we’ll see. He might have a virus or something, but no real injury to speak of. Just illness.”

Wanderers’ night looked far from routine 23 minutes in when Brandon Thomas-Asante opened the scoring for the visitors, who had looked sharp on the counter attack.

Evatt was happy with his team’s response to going behind, however, and the way they continued to attack with the game won.

He said: “I thought we started well. We had control, we had the ball, we looked sharp and incisive and just a couple of times there were some slack decisions, just half a yard off the intensity required to get real pressure on the ball. And, to be fair, they punished us, especially down their right in the first half and for the first 20 minutes or so and then we got to grips with it.

“The goal spurred us on and then we really stuck to our task, found the solutions and then were clinical and ruthless in the final third, so I’m pleased.”

The second goal, scored by Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, was the culmination of a 30-pass move which started with goalkeeper Joel Dixon and, says Evatt, sums up the brand of football he believes can bring success to Bolton.

“That’s how I believe the game should be played and it’s not everybody’s cup of tea,” he said. “I understand that, but football is full of opinions, it’s subjective, whatever you want to see and like.

“But for me if ever there was a goal to define what we do on the training pitch and how hard we work that was it.”

Wanderers were also able to give two debuts on the night.

Academy defender Lamine Toure and B Team midfielder Nelson Khumbeni – brought in from Norwich City this summer – were given their first start late in the second half.

“Those players have been training really well for the B Team, day in, day out,” Evatt said. “They have showed up well in the games too.

“For the B Team to be here in attendance and watch two of their team-mates get on the pitch for the first team and make their debuts should really inspire them to make sure that they are impressing the coaches day in day out.

“Every day on the training pitch is an opportunity to impress us and it’ll show that there is a clear pathway here, so great.”