Defender on scoresheet as Wanderers beat Port Vale
Lawrie Wilson was delighted after Wanderers clinched a sixth successive win with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Port Vale on Saturday.
A breathtaking first 15 minutes saw the Whites race into a deserved 3-0 lead against the Valiants early on, with the full-back providing the third with a spectacular long-range effort.
The win ensured Bolton held on to second place in the Sky Bet League One table with Wilson pleased to contribute to the Trotters' recent impressive run.
“It’s really nice to get on the score-sheet," the defender told bwfc.co.uk. "I usually get about one goal a year and they seem to be not too bad.
“I do like getting forward and it helps everyone when the whole team contributes and takes the pressure off certain players.
“We have to keep going, keep ticking the games off and hopefully keep ticking the wins off.
"It was important to get that victory ahead of the FA Cup game because we can now look at that table and be happy with where we stand.”
Despite scoring a rare screamer, Wilson was evidently disappointed that the team could not break a long-standing clean sheet record when the visitors scored a late consolation goal.
He said: “Everyone’s reaction when that ball went in was of huge disappointment.
"We have to get our head around it and now hopefully we can go on another run and beat that record.
"It’s not just the defenders, but the whole team who are working hard to keep clean sheets.”
Wilson has also been pleased with the forging partnership between himself and explosive winger Sammy Ameobi down the right-hand side.
The defender continued: “The partnership between myself and Sammy is good and he’s been fantastic to play with.
"We’ve started to get an understanding on how we work together both defensively and offensively.
“He doesn’t just do great going forward but he helps out the other way and assists the defenders. He’s doing everything at the moment and it’s great to have him in front of me.”
With much emphasis being placed on the quality of squad-depth, the defender also believes everyone is ready and waiting to step in.
Wilson concluded: “Football is about taking opportunities and for me it’s been great to have a run of games and have faith from the management staff.
"Whether it’s the same starting 11 or players like Trotts who come in, it’s important that everyone is pulling together and working hard for the team.
“You have to have a good squad depth and it’s important that if we’re not necessarily in the team that we get our heads down and have the right preparation for when the manager calls upon us.”