Clean sheets are pointing the way to success for Wanderers as they steamrollered Portsmouth to keep up their fine New Year form.

Ian Evatt watched Dion Charles, Kieran Lee and Eoin Toal do the damage on Saturday at the UniBol but was equally impressed by a sixth consecutive shut-out, which equalled a record stretching all the way back to 1937.

Wanderers remain fifth but now have a six-point cushion on the play-off chasing pack, and also have a trip to Accrington Stanley to look forward to in the semi-final of the Papa Johns Trophy.

Evatt is keen to see the clean sheet culture continue to spread through his squad in the coming weeks, paying tribute to the hard work his players put in against Pompey.

“The players feel like we are really solid and everyone knows their jobs out of possession, and we have worked really, really hard on that, going all the way back to pre-season,” he told The Bolton News.

“If you look back at last season, where we needed to improve was that area, constant pressure on the ball, everyone knowing their roles and responsibilities, that way we can hold people accountable when things go wrong.

“I think now everyone knows their job. And it’s brilliant for the goalkeeper, brilliant for the back three when everyone is keeping those clean sheets, but it is something the team should celebrate.

“We create enough opportunities to score goals, so by working hard for that clean sheet it gives us a great chance to win football matches.

“I am delighted for everyone because it takes some real effort to keep buying into it, doing the work, and not slacking off. I think they are taking a real pride in clean sheets now, which is brilliant to see.”

Wanderers defender Will Aimson has not been on the losing side since coming into the team in mid-December, and he confidently suggests that the top two can be caught.

“We said at the start of the season that promotion was our aim, that is no secret, we are not scared to talk about that, it is what we want,” he said.

“They are not a million miles away and I personally believe we have got enough to go and catch them.

“It will be difficult, we are quite a few points behind, but stranger things have happened. And if we carry on this kind of form then there is no reason why we can’t.

“That is just a personal thought but I think other people are thinking that too. We are not getting ahead of ourselves, we are just chalking off one game at a time. In fact we are still frustrated that we have dropped points where we have drawn games because we could be in an even better position.

“We are in a good spot, ready to kick on, and hopefully we can do the Bolton thing and have a good second half of the season, see where we end up.”