Bolton 3-1 MK Dons: Neil Lennon and Karl Robinson reaction
Saturday 23 January 2016 19:50, UK
Manager Neil Lennon hailed crisis club Bolton's 3-1 Sky Bet Championship win over MK Dons as "our best performance of the season and one of the best I have had in my time here".
Rob Holding's first senior goal, captain Darren Pratley's third in five games and a farewell strike from substitute Shola Ameobi in stoppage time secured bottom side Bolton's third league victory of the season.
Josh Murphy grabbed an 89th-minute consolation strike for the injury-ravaged visitors who lost Ben Reeves in the warm-up.
The match was also followed by MK Dons manager Karl Robinson claiming referee Kevin Wright had instructed his Dons players they should go down to have a hope of winning a penalty.
Lennon ended the day with grounds for optimism, and said: "What we got was two halves of attacking football. We could have won the game more comfortably.
"It was a must-win game and players responded brilliantly. I have nothing but praise for them.
"I have never stopped believing we can get out of trouble. MK Dons might not be one of the superior teams in the division but there was a lot of pressure on us going into the game and the players handled it very well under the circumstances.
"Had we lost we would really have been cast adrift. I am not expecting us to play that well every week but we need to get near that performance.
"It would have been a travesty had we dropped points on the chances we created and the way we played. Hopefully it is a platform to build on."
Lennon has not given up hope of Ameobi extending his short-term deal that expired after the game.
"Maybe we can have a chat with the powers that be but it's not looking likely. However, if he's going to sign off then it's great way to sign off," Lennon said.
Robinson had no complaints at his side's defeat but was angered by referee Wright's performance, notably for allowing Bolton's opening goal. The Dons boss felt there was a foul by Gary Madine on goalkeeper David Martin in the build-up.
"We weren't good enough," said Robinson. "We looked lethargic, second to every ball, bullied in areas of the pitch and the only one who came out with any credit was Jake Forster-Caskey.
"Bolton have got a better squad than us, they have played at a higher level with players who have achieved a lot of things. And when they fancy it and when they get the first goal and when they are at it, it's a difficult place to play. And we allowed them to get at it.
"We started slowly and sluggish and the players need to look at themselves. They were very harsh with each other after the game but fair."
On Bolton's first goal, Robinson said: "Dave's arms are in the air, his [Madine] arms come over Dave's and it is a free-kick.
"Four or five minutes later there was an identical free-kick in the middle of the pitch and he [the referee] gave against the centre-back. So, he's given two bad decisions.
"Then Jonny Williams goes through on goal and he [the referee] says to one of my players - and it needs to be said - 'If he goes down, it's a penalty'.
"Two of my players heard him say it. We confronted him at half-time and his story completely changed.
"Firstly, he said he hadn't said anything. Then he said, 'I said this...'.
"So, I want to know, 'Do you want my players to go down?'. Because the referee has told my players if they go down it's a penalty.
"Players get criticised for diving but all of a sudden when we don't do that and try to do it by the letter of the law, all of a sudden we are told if we go down it is a pen.
"Even if he thinks that, he shouldn't have said it because by saying it you create controversy. He needs to be brighter with what he says.
"But that's not taking away from our poor performance. Their one striker dominated my two centre-backs and their centre-backs dominated our striker. In the two penalty areas, we looked way off it."
