Bolton boss Evatt defends Jones after red card

Ian Evatt defended Gethin Jones after Bolton’s skipper was sent off for a tackle Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson described as “terrible” during the sides’ 1-1 draw.

Victor Adeboyejo quickly cancelled out a 42nd-minute opener by Jonson Clarke-Harris before Gethin Jones slid in on Ricky-Jade Jones in first-half stoppage time.

Trotters manager Evatt was booked by referee Ross Joyce in the heated touchline argument that followed

Peterborough hit the woodwork three times in the second period but Bolton’s 10 men held firm for a “point gained” according to Evatt.

“I think it was a yellow (card),” he said about Gethin Jones’ challenge. “I spoke to the referee post-game and he gave me an honest assessment of what he thought with the red.

“I obviously disagree but at least we had the conversation. The biggest frustration was my yellow card.

“I didn’t swear, I wasn’t aggressive, I wasn’t abusive. I took a step out of my technical area to which I saw their manager leave their technical area.

“Their assistant left his seat and got to the front of the pitch where you are only supposed to have one up.

“Yet in all the melee and chaos I got yellow carded. The answer I got was the fourth official’s focus was on me.

“So, the players did remarkably well to take a point being down to 10 for so long.

“We rode our luck at times but one of my favourite phrases is ‘hard work puts you where good luck finds you’.

“I am glad we got a point but the rest of the game is going to take some debriefing.”

Ferguson saw the first-half flashpoint differently: “It was as clear a red card as you are likely to see,” he said.

“So, I don’t know what the pandemonium was about. It was dangerous and I don’t know why because Ricky wasn’t going anywhere.

“He is lucky because he finds these tackles a lot. One day it is going to prove a bad injury.

“But I don’t know if it was a good thing they got a man sent off. It gave them an easy decision to make and they just sat in.”

Ferguson said he was pleased with his team’s performance but not the result.

“Generally, when you hit the post three times, you expect one of them to go in,” he added.

“We played well in the first half, went toe-to-toe with them, and thought we looked dangerous.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the rub of the green in the second half.”