Bolton Wanderers suffered a blow to their outside hopes of reaching the League One play-offs with a loss at home to Plymouth Argyle.
Wanderers went behind just before half-time after Macaulay Gillesphey headed home from Jordan Houghton's corner.
The hosts switched to a back four early in the second half and Wanderers looked much better for it.
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Dion Charles saw a header saved by Michael Cooper, while substitute Elias Kachunga was unable to convert a golden chance to equalise as Wanderers were unable to get back into the clash.
After the game, Wanderers boss Ian Evatt spoke to the press and here's his immediate reaction to the loss.
Disappointing but did you deserve better?
“I think everyone knows we did. First and foremost they’re a really good team. I like what they do, I think they’re doing really well. I think Steven’s got them well coached and well organised but for 15 minutes at the end of the second half where they had a bit of control through possession, but they weren’t really going anywhere.
"They had possession at the back but they didn’t have any real creativity and they didn’t cut through us at any point, but it wobbled us a little bit in possession because it felt like they were having some possession themselves.
"Once we’d figured that out at half-time it was all us second half and the keeper’s made some great saves.
“But to be honest he shouldn’t be given an opportunity to save them. We’re missing guilt edged chances. We missed them on Saturday and it didn’t cost us, we missed them Tuesday, it cost us, and we’ve missed them again today and it’s cost us dearly.
"Especially against decent teams, we’ve lost the game on the back of a set play and I think they had an opportunity at the end when we’re down to 10 men, but I’m really frustrated because I think we did a lot right against a very good team again.”
Were you really disappointed with the manner in which the goal was conceded?
“Yeah and as I said I keep harping on to the players about the importance of set plays in big games. They can define the big games because normally they’re tight and I don’t think the game was tight.
"I think we had more than enough chances to win the game and they rode their luck and they probably earnt that bit of luck with how they performed this season but it’s disappointing to concede from a set play in the manner that we did. I thought it was a real poor bit of marking at the back post.
“I’ve said this to them down there I was centre-back, I was a defender, and when you’re consistently seeing your front players miss chance after chance after chance, it wobbles you. You become nervous, you then know that one mistake and it’s going to cost you and all the time defenders get held accountable for mistakes and goalkeepers, because it results in goal.
“It’s always been a bugbear of mine that when centre forwards and forward players miss chances, they get away with it scott free. It’s like ‘they’ll get the next one’ but it matters, it’s important and it’s cost us dear Tuesday and it’s cost us dear today.
"Performance levels were great and the last two games, I feel like we’ve played really well and we’ve come away with one point and I’m still scratching my head as to how.”
It’s not quite mission impossible now in terms of a play-off position but it’s getting close to it?
“Yeah but if you split the two words it’s I am possible, so that’s how we have to see it. That’s how we have to look at it. As I said, the way we’re playing is great and if it’s not this year then we have to finish strong and improve for next year.
"People must remember we’re a newly promoted team, we’ve just bought seven players in January and we’ve hit the ground running.
"But this group and team is improving and evolving all of the time and I think if you ask Plymouth, there aren’t many teams that have done that to them and created that many opportunities and chances so things are looking up for us. We’re obviously going to be disappointed because we want it now.
"I’m the biggest one for that but sometimes it’s about just improving, keeping our heads down and working hard on some foundations for the future and I think what we’ve done this season is certainly build those.”
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