Wanderers players have been urged to “park” their disappointing defeat at Derby County – and take out their frustrations on Forest Green.

Ian Evatt’s side never looked likely to end a 42-year wait for a league away win against the Rams, turning in a performance which was way below the standards they have set in recent weeks.

The Whites have a chance to make amends quickly, with a home game against rock-bottom Rovers, who were beaten 2-1 at home by MK Dons.

Asked what positives he would take from the Derby display, Evatt said: “It was a close game with not a lot of opportunities – so if you can still be as competitive as we were without performing to anything like our normal level then it shows where we are at as a club.

“There were so many parts to that game that were wrong, from our perspective. They executed their gameplan perfectly, exactly what Paul Warne’s teams do, they are aggressive, they run hard, they are combative, they press hard and fast, and we were just not brave enough to encourage the press to then create the space to play into.

“We got our decision-making all wrong at times but we will learn from it.

“I told the players: ‘This has gone, it is parked. We have said what we had to say on it.’

“All that matters now is that we regroup and then win that game on Tuesday night because that now becomes massive for us.”

With Jon Dadi Bodvarsson injured, Evatt handed a full debut to Dan Nlundulu, the striker signed this month on loan from Southampton.

“I thought he was excellent,” he said of the 23-year-old’s performance. “There were signs of the quality he is going to bring to us.

“He needs to be fitter, and that will come with game time, time on the grass. It is completely different playing for us as a number nine than it would have been for Cheltenham.

“They are more sacrificial with possession, they play in more of a mid-block, and so you do not save as much energy for out-of-possession as you do in-possession. We are obviously high-press, front foot, trying to win the ball back as high as we possibly can, and that takes fitness.

“I saw some good signs from Dan today.”

Shola Shoretire, signed on loan from Manchester United on Thursday, also came off the bench in the second half to make his Bolton debut.

There had been a mixed response from supporters after the teenager arrived on the same day that Dapo Afolayan was sold to German side St Pauli.

“I think we should learn our lessons on writing these younger players off,” Evatt said.

“We have got some very good young players and he is another one of them.

“He will come on the world for that, it will really benefit him.

“We saw a few moments where he received the ball centrally and turned, which is what he is going to bring to this team, and he will be a really good player for us for the remainder of the season.”

Evatt will now consider changes for the Forest Green game in an effort to get back to winning ways.

“We will have a good look at the game again, and whatever team I pick we have to win the game,” he said. “Good teams always bounce back after a defeat and a negative result.

“We have that opportunity against Forest Green.”