IAN Evatt felt more calm heads were needed – on and off the pitch – when Wanderers came under heavy pressure in the second half against Barnsley.

Trailing 1-0, Bolton struggled to get out of their own half after the restart with some big chances to double the lead falling for visiting strikers John McAtee and Devante Cole.

Frustrations surfaced in the crowd as the Whites continued to try and play their way out from the back and there were audible cheers when goalkeeper Nathan Baxter ushered his defenders away to take a longer goal kick to clear the pressure.

Wanderers did get back on level terms, Baxter starting a flowing seven-pass move that started with Baxter and ended with Zac Ashworth heading Aaron Collins’ cross in at the far post.

After the final whistle, the reaction from parts of the crowd was raised by Evatt in his post-match press conference.

“Let’s be mindful of what we are trying to do,” he told The Bolton News. “The way this team plays and the way we function needs confidence and belief. We need to be backed.

“I need to back them and make them feel confident, so do the fans. At times we did make the wrong decisions in possession, but I am sure we will learn from that.

“I think they got nervous and worried, it made it worse and we started making more mistakes and errors.

“Cheering kicking it long is not the right thing to do either.

“I think that plays into their hands with how dominant they are, physically.

“We all care, that is the most important thing. We want this so badly.

“That is a really tough game and they always make it really difficult for us. We have had a lot of disruption this week, some new bodies in there, new players learning a new way of playing. But I was delighted to get back into the game.”

Evatt felt his side should have been better in possession but that moving to a more direct style of play would have made life easier for Barnsley.

“That is what they want, they want turnovers,” he said. “It doesn’t help kicking it long, either. That is what they want too, because they are physical at the back.

“We want to pick our way through but we need support to be able to do that. We need everyone to be on the same page and I just don’t think it is helpful.

“We weathered that storm, rallied the troops and then took control of the game again and had probably the best moments with Paris (Maghoma) and Aaron (Collins), little bits of pressure.

“It was a good game and they are a good side. We are only going to improve from here.”