Neil Lennon bemoaned the lack of quality at both ends of the pitch as his Bolton side succumbed to their ninth defeat of the season at home to Cardiff.
Wanderers twice came from two goals down, and had a golden opportunity to win it through Gary Madine, before Cardiff snatched it moments later.
And Lennon knows that defeat in these circumstances could be the cruellest blow of an already miserable season.
“It’s a defeat again, and it’s psychologically damaging, and we’ve got a big challenge on our hands now,” he said.
“It’s not good enough – we’re bitterly disappointed that we haven’t won the game, we’ve missed easy chances, and defensively the second and third goals are really disappointing.
“All the goals are easy goals to concede, not tracking runners, not doing the basics and the hard bits well enough, but we should have been out of sight.
“The players looked up for it today so maybe it’s a lack of quality – we are creating a lot of chances and not converting them, and that’s been the bugbear of our season so far.
“We can’t keep letting teams off the hook.”
The financial problems of Bolton were laid bare in multiple ways on Saturday, with Dean Holdsworth of prospective buyers and consortium Sports Shield in attendance, along with current owner Eddie Davies.
Additionally, Cardiff striker Tony Watt – who once played for Lennon at Celtic – scored the opener, and the Whites boss revealed he could have easily been lining up for his side on Saturday.
“We were offered him a couple of weeks ago before he went to Cardiff and we couldn’t afford to do it, and if we had a player of that ilk on the pitch today it would have been a different story.
“That’s not taking away from the players we have here, they’re giving me everything, but we have to start making the most of what we have.
“I’m disappointed as much for the fans as I am for myself and my backroom team and obviously the players but we have to stop missing the chances.
“When we’re on top we have to put the teams away, and that’s as clear-cut an opportunity as we’ve had to win a game.”
Image courtesy of BWFC via YouTube, with thanks.
