Striker speaks to bwfc.co.uk following his first goal for Wanderers in the weekend's draw with Nottingham Forest
Having notched Wanderers’ equalising goal and his first in Bolton colours in dramatic circumstances against Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, Stephen Dobbie praised the team’s resolve to eventually earn a share of the spoils against the Reds.
With the Whites having missed an earlier penalty kick, David Vaughan’s late strike looked set to earn the visitors victory against the run of play.
Not to be denied however, substitute Dobbie fired home from 20 yards deep into second half stoppage time to secure a point for Bolton – one which the Scot believes was more than warranted given their efforts throughout the clash.
“I was on the bench waiting for my chance - the boys were playing well, but it just wasn’t going in for us. Luckily enough, it came today to get the equaliser.
“We’ve been playing well. We hit the bar three times against Derby and had what seemed like 50 chances in the Burton game - it was going to come eventually, but I’m just glad it came today and we remain unbeaten at home in the league.”
He continued: “The table doesn’t show how well we are playing this early on. It was vital for us to not lose today, especially after falling behind.
“The boys keep working hard, our spirits remain high and hopefully we can climb the table.”
Remaining composed under pressure to earn Wanderers a point late on, Dobbie praised the efforts of Mark Davies with the midfielder providing the important assist for the equaliser.
“Sparky is a very clever player,” he said. “I knew if I found some space then he’d try and find me. It was a great ball from him that took two players out of the game, and thankfully my shot went in the bottom corner.
“Also, the back four and Ben have been magnificent. Apart from Middlesbrough, we’ve played well and always looked like we could win or score a few.
“It’s one of those things. We’ve got the first goal, now we’ll try and push on from here.
“We need to get the first win now. It was important to get the first goal to show what we can do, while we’ve been unlucky with the type of goals we’ve been conceding."
“If we keep playing like we are playing then hopefully the win will come soon.”
The striker, who agreed a one-year deal with the club earlier this month, has high hopes for his time with Wanderers and believes that Saturday’s late show can be the springboard for future success during the course of the campaign.
“The boys are great and the manager has been great,” he explained. “I’ve been biding my time to get my chance, and hopefully today can kick-start the season.
“There is no reason why we can’t aim for at least mid-table, if not higher - the ability is there in the team.
“We’ve been unlucky, but the goals and wins will come. If we keep working hard on the training field, then it is only a matter of time before it pays off on the pitch.”