IAN Evatt refuses to get carried away by Portsmouth’s slip-up at the top of League One.
Pompey were beaten 2-1 by Cheltenham Town at the weekend, meaning they now lead the table by two points from Wanderers having played two games more.
Bolton will host the improving Robins at the Toughsheet Stadium this weekend looking for a win that could take them above the Fratton Park side but must first face League Two Accrington Stanley in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Wednesday night.
Evatt does not want his players to look past the midweek fixture, keeping there attention firmly on performances for the time being.
“We’re not concentrating on anyone else’s results, we just want to focus on our own, it's all about us,” he said.
“We have got our own business to take care of because games in hand mean nothing if you don’t win them. That is the mindset we have now, attack the next game, and that’s Accrington away.”
Wanderers will be in the hat for the fourth round draw this evening, which will be made before Wigan Athletic take on Manchester United live on the BBC.
They became only the second side this season to stop Luton scoring at home to force a replay with a performance Evatt felt showed character.
“We dug in, we defended, we blocked and tackled, we worked hard for each other – and all against the type of team which has caused us problems in the past,” he said.
“Luton are a really good football club with a manager I have an enormous amount of respect for, they are intense and athletic, and they are able to sustain it for virtually the whole game, which is the level I’d like us to get, athletically.
“We should take nothing but positives from it. We didn’t want to change, we wanted to press and attack and I think we managed it.”
Evatt praised an “amazing” away support, which he hopes will now come out in force for the replay to help his side rubber stamp their place in the next round.
Fixtures are piling up for the Whites, who will face Luton again at some point on the week commencing January 15, but the Bolton boss is not complaining.
“It isn’t win or bust,” he said. “It isn’t a case of if we can’t win, we may as well give it to them. This is a financially rewarding competition, the second game will make money and as a club on its way back we need every penny we can get.
“Hopefully we can fill the Toughsheet and make it a really intimidating atmosphere like the Luton fans did for us.”
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