Bolton Wanderers' Dapo Afolayan hails strength in Fleetwood victory

Having sparked delirious scenes in the away end with a 95th minute winner at Highbury the former West Ham man was delighted to have sealed three points to put Bolton back into the play-off positions once again.

Afolayan’s dramatic fourth goal of the season had capped off a ferocious second-half performance, where Conor Bradley had levelled the game with just five minutes to go.

Ian Evatt’s team had actually been booed by small sections of the Bolton support at half time – and criticism had certainly built-up in recent weeks after results and performances varied in quality.

But Afolayan feels the same toughness which kept him and the team focussed on changing the result at Fleetwood can also apply to the rest of the campaign.

“It is a mentality thing,” he said. “Personally, it is something I work on a lot, trying to be strong, mentally, and knowing that things won’t go your way all the time but if you keep persevering and doing the right things in life then good things will come to you. I take that in my everyday life and then on to the pitch as well, we know we were creating good chances, playing some good football.

“We are a big fixture on the list for people. Teams want to stop us and do everything they can to nullify our threats and it is about overcoming that. It is never easy in this division but you have to keep doing.

“We deserved it. We have got good fighting spirit in this group and I think we have shown a lot over this last couple of months that no matter what happens, we’ll go right to the death. We got our just rewards.”

Evatt has spoken before the game to his players about filtering out “white noise” and some of the more negative comments which had been directed at the squad recently.

There had been a feeling among many that while Bolton’s league position was roughly on track for their target of a play-off position, that performances did not bode well for them achieving what they set out to do.

“I am one that doesn’t like to take much notice of it,” Afolayan said. “We’re in a game where we are constantly judged, an industry where everyone is allowed an opinion and everyone’s opinion is valid. You go into other industries and you don’t get as much criticism just for doing your job. And I know every single lad in there does his job to the best of their ability, no matter what happens, mistakes or not, everyone is doing their best.

“I think it is a key thing to remember. Everyone is doing what they can to try and help the club go the right way. We have to stick together whether we hear boos from the crowd or cheers from the crowd, we are just here to do a job.”

Afolayan also notes that since joining Wanderers nearly three years ago, he has become accustomed to the high bar that has been set.

“I can never criticise our fans for having expectation or wanting the best for the team or the club,” he said.

“The club has gone from playing in Europe to playing here in League One in a relatively short space of time, so the expectation is always going to be here.

“I have always seen it as a privilege to play for Bolton Wanderers at this point in my career.

“We, as a group, have to understand and respect that, then put it into every game.”

Afolayan celebrated his goal in front of a joyous away end, and admits his exuberance nearly cost him an injury.

“There is no better feeling in football, especially right in front of your own fans,” he said.

“I just had to concentrate on putting it in the bottom corner – but I was already off, the shirt was coming off. I nearly did my shoulder.”

The Wanderers squad also serenaded manager Evatt, who turned 41 on Saturday, when he got back into the dressing room.

“He had a word with us this morning and told us it was his birthday, so we thought we’d get a bit of Stevie Wonder on, give him a rendition,” Afolayan added.