Bolton play their second pre-season match tonight with a trip to Atherton Collieries.
Again, Wanderers fans have sold out their full allocation of tickets ahead of the match against the Northern Premier League side at the Skuna Stadium.
I would expect a similar set-up to Saturday’s match at Longridge, with potentially two separate teams for each half. Ian Evatt has said that these friendlies will also be a good chance for the players to get used to playing in front of a crowd again.
“Pre-season games are going to be important this year because in a weird and strange kind of way, the players have got used to playing without supporters. When there are fans there, it is a different pressure. You make different decisions. Would you take that risk if you’re getting stick from the fans and you gave your last pass away and got a bit of stick? Are you going to take that risk with your next pass? The players have to get used to playing under that pressure again, so I’m pleased that fans are going to be there in pre-season. I can’t wait to see more of them and I think there will be even more than we saw at Longridge. I’ll hopefully see another step forward again but we’re happy with where we’re at,” Evatt told the Bolton News.
Atherton is a regular destination for us in pre-season now. We played there last summer, where we won 3-0, Eoin Doyle and Dennis Politic scored, either side of a trialist.