IAN Evatt believes the winner of tonight’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy quarter-final at Bloomfield Road will be favourites win the competition.

The Bolton boss goes back to his former club Blackpool knowing two more victories will see his team back to Wembley.

No club has ever won the trophy in successive seasons and though League One promotion remains Wanderers number one priority, the lure of another final has prompted Evatt to name consistently strong line-ups in each of the five matches so far.

Another key league game awaits on Saturday at home to fifth-placed Barnsley – but Evatt maintains full focus will be on progression to the semi-finals for the time being.

“It is a huge ask, a huge task, and I believe the winner of this game could go all the way,” he said.

“It is a big game and both teams will fancy their chances, rightly so.

“But both teams also have league aspirations as well, so I guess we will both pick a team we feel will be good enough to win the game on the night and may the best team win.

“Whoever executes their gameplan the best on the night will get themselves one step closer to Wembley.”

Evatt played more than 200 times for Blackpool, helping them go from League One to the Premier League in three years under Ian Holloway.

He left the club as its longest-serving player in 2013 to join Chesterfield, and this will be the first occasion he has returned since moving into management.

“It will be a big night for me, and I love the place,” he told The Bolton News. “I have some really fond memories there. It was a brilliant time for my playing career and I have nothing but admiration for that football club.

“But I think you guys know me well enough by now to know that there will be nobody who wants to win that game more than me.

“We have to go there with the right attitude to get one step closer to a Wembley cup final, which is huge for us.”

Wanderers sold out their ticket allocation of 2,135, ensuring yet another packed away stand.

Evatt was delighted to send fans home happy with a win against Carlisle United at the weekend and with Bolton failing to win any of their previous 14 games at Blackpool – stretching right the way back to December 1977 – the manager says they will once again have a part to play.

He said: “We never want to disappoint our fans – and I know there have been times we have, and I apologise for that, but when the away end is sold out like it was on Saturday it is such a good feeling to see them so happy after the game, knowing we have done the business. It provides great moments, great memories.

“I don’t think we have the best record at Bloomfield Road, so it is certainly important we set that straight with a league game to come not so long afterwards.

“The fans have been fantastic. You can sense the togetherness, not just from within but from the fans as well.”