Bolton Wanderers fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday evening. When speaking to bwfc.co.uk after the game, manager Phil Parkinson covered the following topics…
On his assessment of the game…
I thought we had more than enough chances to get something from the game.
I think everybody who has watched it can see that.
When we have periods of pressure, like we have done of late, we have to take those opportunities.
We’ve come to Villa Park, which is a difficult place to come to, I thought we created more than enough to get something from the game.
It was so close, the width of the post or someone sliding in half a yard quicker to get a goal.
The keeper made a great save from Nooney in the second half.
Obviously we are disappointed with conceding that early goal and we know we’ve done that a lot recently.
Was it a lack of concentration or a good piece of play from Abraham, to put Grealish in, who we know is a top class player.
I still feel we could have been more switched on in that situation.
The second goal, how the referee can give a free kick for Joe Williams’ tackle, I honestly don’t know.
However, I do feel we need to defend it better.
We know they are good at set plays and have a very good delivery.
We need to back stick better than we did.
It was a performance that typified us recently, where we have had so much good play in the game and we need to capitalise on those big moments.
On the result not reflecting the performance put in by the team…
The lads have given absolutely everything and we can’t question the attitude and application of them.
We passed the ball well at times, it is just that final bit of sticking the ball in the back of the net.
Some of the crossing in the first half was better.
We got tired in the second half and a bit careless with our ball into the final third.
I thought our set play delivery was better tonight, showing there are areas from tonight’s game that we can be pleased with.
We are just missing that ability to stick the ball in the back of the net.
On the second goal being a real blow…
For me, Joe Willams’ tackle is terrific and having seen it back, the less said about the referee’s performance the better.
But even saying that, we need to defend it better.
At 1-0, we were right in the game.
It is very frustrating but we have to keep going.
On potentially missing that element of luck in front of goal…
It would be nice if we did get a bit of luck, but nobody has got a magic wand to wave and get us three points.
We need to keep working on getting goals and make our own bit of luck.
There is no lack of effort or application, we just need someone to produce something to give everybody a lift.
On needing to stay together as a club…
We have to sit down again with the lads and go through areas we can improve on, going into the Swansea City game.
I do believe that if we keep playing the way we are, like when we played Hull and Blackburn, where we dominate periods of the game like we have done, the goals will come.