Ian Evatt insists going ‘off script’ at Shrewsbury Town cost his side precious points on Saturday.

Leading 2-1 with a dozen minutes to play at the Montgomery Waters Stadium, Wanderers conspired to throw away a victory that would have enabled them to claw back some ground on the teams above them in the promotion race.

Two late goals for the hosts – both from set pieces – were, in the manager’s view, a result of playing too much direct football in the closing stages, a policy he felt played into the opposition hands.

“We lost our composure,” he told The Bolton News. “The really upsetting thing from my point of view as a manager is that we lost the belief and the discipline in what we were doing, affecting them.

“At times it was six versus three at the back, including Traff, where we could play the ball out. But we were making safe decisions, fearing things.

“What was the worst thing that could happen? We ended up losing the game anyway – but the two things are aligned because if you keep knocking the ball long that is exactly what Shrewsbury wanted us to do. They want to win first contacts, they want to put it back behind us and make us run towards our own goal – and that simply isn’t us.

“We want to have control, be brave, have belief and for whatever reason in the last 10-15 minutes we completely lost that.”

Chey Dunkley plundered a winning goal in stoppage time, climbing above three Bolton defenders and goalkeeper James Trafford to guide the ball over the line.

Evatt had no complaints, despite some claims for a foul on the Manchester City loanee.

“Traff needed to be protected better and he needs to be stronger himself,” he said.

“I had no issues. The defender that scored was just more aggressive than we were and that is disappointing.”

Wanderers have not lost a game in which they led since May 2021, when Exeter City took a 2-1 win from the University of Bolton Stadium.

They had looked in prime position after Dion Charles scored his second goal of the game from the penalty spot, and despite his side never looking at their best on a tricky playing surface, Evatt was confident they would go on to take the points.

“It wasn’t a pitch where we could get into a rhythm,” he said. “It was a difficult one but we found a way to get on top and certainly in the second half we were on top and I don’t remember them putting us under pressure at all.

“We looked more likely to go and win 3-1 or 4-1 but against these teams if you switch off from set plays then you are going to have problems, and that is what happened.”