Dougie Freedman reveals frustration at late Bolton goal

Former Bolton boss Dougie Freedman was frustrated to miss out on victory over his old team as Nottingham Forest were denied late on at the Macron Stadium.

Late substitute Stephen Dobbie prevented Freedman enjoying a winning return, scoring in stoppage time to cancel out fellow substitute David Vaughan's 80th-minute strike and earn Bolton a 1-1 draw in the Sky Bet Championship clash.

Dobbie's low strike from 18 yards was Bolton's first goal in 649 minutes, dating back to a Mark Davies strike at Brentford on April 18.

Bolton's Gary Madine also saw a 48th-minute penalty saved by Dorus de Vries, and Wanderers remain without a league or cup win this season.

Forest shrugged off the absence of key strikers to extend their unbeaten run to three games and Freedman said: "I am disappointed, being 1-0 up with a few minutes to go.

"But overall it was a good performance and I have no complaints with the result. We looked reasonably comfortable until Bolton got the equaliser."

Freedman, sacked as Bolton boss last October and replaced by Neil Lennon, added: "It was always going to be a challenge for myself and the team coming back here.

"But no one can take away how hard I worked for the football club. No doubt the club was in decline and I couldn't stop that decline, but I was looking forward to seeing the people and looking forward to the challenge.

"I was treated as well as I could have expected. When you get both sets of fans booing you, that's when you know you are in trouble.

"Deep down, most Bolton fans understood the circumstances. We missed out on the play-offs by one goal and they knew then it was going to be difficult for the next couple of years.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't ride it out long enough to keep things going. But no one could deny I worked hard the couple of years I was here."

Freedman's successor had no doubts Dobbie's goal was well merited.

"We should have won the game," said Bolton boss Lennon.

"Our football was good and we contained Forest to the odd counter-attack, but we lost a goal to another wonder strike and you hold your hands up and say, 'Good hit', but the reaction was excellent.

"They showed a lot of character and we did more than enough to win the game, which has been the story of our season so far. We didn't look like a team who are second bottom.

"Stephen is a player we believe can have an impact in games and he showed that.

"You are always reluctant to take off Zach Clough because you always think he might produce a moment of magic, but Stephen is a very good finisher. He had one side of the goal (to aim at) and he took his chance brilliantly. It was very clever.

"Of course, if you don't score goals it is going to prey on your minds. It is going to suck energy out of your team when they are creating chances and giving their all. Psychologically, it is a huge lift."

Madine's missed spot-kick looked to be a turning point, especially when Vaughan, a 74th-minute replacement for Dutch newcomer Kyle Ebecilio, cracked in his first goal since scoring for Sunderland on April 14, 2013.

"It was a poor penalty," said Lennon. "Gary has practised them all week but he didn't strike it well enough.

"You are thinking, 'There's still plenty of time to get one'. But then you get hit by a sucker punch, and you're thinking 'They don't deserve this', but it is the reality of football. However, we got there in the end."