Evans Pays Tribute To Bolton

Jonny Evans was full of praise for Bolton's never-say-die approach in Saturday's nervy encounter at Old Trafford.

United moved back to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 2-1 win over Gary Megson's side, but were ultimately relieved to take all three points after a late rally from the Trotters.

"At the end we were hanging on a bit," Evans admitted to MUTV. "We had a lot of chances. I think Michael Owen had a chance, Berbatov's had a few volleys and gone close, but full credit to Bolton for hanging in there. They got the goal and it gave them a chance towards the end of the game.

"You know you're going to be in for a long afternoon (against Bolton's Kevin Davies), and in the first half particularly I found it a bit tough, physically. In the second half I thought I got to grips with the game a bit more, and his physical presence."

Evans came close to scoring his first United goal, moments after Zat Knight's own goal had put the Reds into an early lead, only for Trotters goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to shovel the defender's header against the woodwork.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get that goal," Jonny lamented. "I saw it on a replay and I should have probably done a bit better and directed it more towards the post, but you see the glory and close your eyes. I thought it was in."

Having just about done enough to take the points, the champions leapfrogged Chelsea to the summit of the table, by virtue of the Blues' shock defeat at Aston Villa.

Evans and his colleagues aren't getting carried away, however, by taking an early lead in an increasingly unpredictable Premier League campaign.

"It's a good day for us," he admitted. "But we were watching the Chelsea game in the changing room before the game and we know it's going to be quite an up-and-down season. A lot of teams in the Premier League are improving all the time and they're getting closer and closer to the top. It's making it a really exciting league."