AFTER repelling Port Vale’s advances and grappling with Stevenage in the past seven days, Jack Iredale is looking forward to another chance to roll up his sleeves against Carlisle United.

Fresh from an all-action performance on Tuesday night, the Australian defender is now keen to see Wanderers into the international break with a third straight league win.

Ian Evatt’s side has attracted plenty of praise over the last few years for its expansive style but over the final 45 minutes at Vale Park and for virtually the whole 90 in midweek it was something altogether more primal that earned two important results.

Wanderers have exhibited a stubborn streak to keep the points column ticking over during a particularly harsh run of injuries and Iredale – who has been in the thick of it as the left-sided centre-half has been only too happy to do his part.

“Don’t get me wrong, I would rather we were 4-0 up at half time and not have to touch the ball,” he told The Bolton News. “But we have had to show a different side to us and of course we’ll come up against sides with all sorts of different styles of play.

“The gaffer was saying that they are the sorts of games that maybe would have gone a different way in times gone by, so it is credit to the lads.

“We have now shown that we can do that, so we can’t let those standards slip. When we have to do that side of the game, that’s fine, but we also know we are good with the ball too.”

Evatt explained after the Stevenage win that Iredale had also been playing with a minor injury, associated with the one which kept him out for nearly five months at the end of last season.

Kyle Dempsey and Dion Charles have also been asked to play with issues that might ordinarily keep them out of the side but Iredale reasons that it is all part of the game.

“It’s a bit weird, it is only when you get into the middle of a season as a footballer you really do feel 100 per cent,” he said. “I have had to play through a few things but it is no excuse. It has been backs to the wall while the other guys have been injured, wrap ourselves up, and the medical department have been working really hard making sure we are ready to go.

“I will always put my hand up if I can lace up a pair of boots. If I am well enough to play I won’t ever turn it down.”

The Jack Iredale fan club might have boosted its numbers after Tuesday night’s man of the match display. There will be a pocket of ‘ultras’ in the crowd against Carlisle United, however, who can claim to have been there from the very start.

After winning a penalty, scoring a goal, assisting one for Josh Sheehan and making a collection of goal-line clearances in the midweek win, the defender revealed that his mum, Fiona – over from Australia – had gone to Glasgow to watch a concert.

His Dad, Paul, who has recently been undergoing treatment for cancer, was there to see his son put in arguably his best performance since signing for the club.

“Dad’s doing really well,” he said. “He’s well enough to travel and keep me on my toes while I am here too. I’m happy he’s over here and it is great to be able to share that moment with my family.

“They are here for a month but that was the only night mum decided to go to a concert in Glasgow instead. She was up there having a great time but dad was here, my missus was here, other family too, so I am glad. They will probably see another three or four games too, home and away.

Iredale may have extra incentive to sign off for the international break with a win, as he comes up against one of his former clubs.

Despite seeing his only season at Brunton Park cut short by the pandemic, then being released along with 10 other players in what was an uncertain time for the game in the lower leagues, Iredale says he has no axe to grind with the Cumbrians.

“I was there during the Covid season and it was my first season in English football, so I can only ever thank them for giving me that opportunity,” he said.

“Obviously it got cut short, there isn’t much anyone could do about it, but I really enjoyed my time there and it just ended in a really weird way like it did for everyone else.

“I don’t think there are too many familiar faces for me there, maybe one or two, but it will be business as usual for us, and hopefully three points to take us into the international break.

“They are coming to our stadium, our house, and I am assuming there will be another big crowd who will be backing us. We have needed it and we’ll do everything we can to get the points for them again.

“I think (against Stevenage) they were right there with us. Every time we conceded you could hear them backing us, they know what we are trying to do and they know it has got results for us as well.

“I feel like we are replaying that faith at the moment by digging out results, so hopefully we can get another one on Saturday.”