Bolton boss Keith Hill's verdict on unpalatable defeat to Portsmouth

Bolton boss Keith Hill admitted his side’s defeat to Pompey was unpalatable.
Bolton boss Keith Hill. Picture: Joe PeplerBolton boss Keith Hill. Picture: Joe Pepler
Bolton boss Keith Hill. Picture: Joe Pepler

The struggling Trotters’ woes continued as they fell to a 1-0 loss at Fratton Park.

Brett Pitman's header in the 66th minute delivered the Blues a much-needed victory – arriving seven minutes after he’d crashed a penalty against the post.

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But it was the visitors who were the better team in the first half, with Will Buckley squandering two golden chances and Christian Burgess clearing Thibaud Verlinden’s goal-bound effort off the line.

Bolton boss Keith Hill. Picture: Joe PeplerBolton boss Keith Hill. Picture: Joe Pepler
Bolton boss Keith Hill. Picture: Joe Pepler

Hill rued Bolton's missed opportunities and reckons his side deserved something from the game.

He told the Trotters’ website: ‘It was a game of two halves, there were a lot of positives but we got no points.

‘We dominated possession, had goalscoring opportunities – especially in the first half – but didn’t have that ruthless edge.

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‘The proposition for Kenny and his team at half-time should have been “We’re losing a football match”.

‘We’re trying to turn the tide around. It’s a positive performance but not even a palatable result.

‘I can take a lot from the performance but I hate losing football matches. It was 1-0 but even if it’s 10-0 we've still got beat.

‘We have to be better at determining our fate in front of goal.

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‘It’s a game that lasts 90 minutes. The momentum was with us, we played some lovely football, controlled our opponents and created opportunities.

‘In the second half, I won’t argue Portsmouth were the better side, they had a penalty and scored a goal.’

Bolton remain rooted to the bottom of the table on minus-nine points, having been hit with a 12-point deduction at the start of the campaign for entering administration.

After virtually a complete overhaul of the squad over the summer, Hill's been encouraged by the progress the Trotters have made – but knows there’s more room for improvement.

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He added: ‘The planning is meticulous and the players have got to execute their own individual performances better.

‘That’s not me being critical, that’s just the demand of being a winner and representing Bolton Wanderers.

‘We have to do more to turn good performances into winning football matches – it’s fine margins.’