Frustration for Robbo at Bolton point

Dons boss Karl Robinson was disappointed not to come away from the Macron Stadium with all three points after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with league leaders Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
Karl RobinsonKarl Robinson
Karl Robinson

Despite going behind to an early Mark Beevers goal, Dons settled and got back into it nine minutes into the second half through Ryan Colclough’s first goal for the club.

Kieran Agard missed a penalty for the visitors too as he started up front in place of misfiring Nicky Maynard, while David Martin made two great saves to deny Bolton at the other end.

But having lost the last two in League 1, dropping down the table, Robinson said he was frustrated to only draw with Bolton.

“I’m not happy with a point,” he said afterwards. “I want to scream again. I’m disappointed not to win here against a team that’s top of the league.

“I’ve said all along - give us time on the training ground and we can work on things. We were within inches at times. Kieran had a chance, and the keeper made a wonderful save from the penalty. Our football looked really fluent. We’re starting to see glimpses of us getting there.

“Phil Parkinson is one of the best managers in the league and Bolton are one of the best teams, the Macron is one of the hardest places to come and we’ve done unbelievably well.

“But we cannot keep conceding set piece goals.”

Beevers, who spent time on loan with MK Dons in 2011, fired Bolton into the lead as Dons failed to clear Jay Spearing’s corner. However Robinson felt there was a foul on defender Joe Walsh in the build up, which went unspotted by referee Peter Bankes.

Having seen similar fouls given in other games, Robinson wants clarification from the PGMOL as to the rules regarding fouls by attackers and by defenders.

He said: “Joe Walsh has been pushed in the back for the goal. I saw a penalty given for that last night in the Reading vs Ipswich game. There were a lot of questionable decisions and I believe he got a lot of those decisions wrong. I just want to know to answers to one or two questions.”

But while Beevers’ goal stood, Agard had the chance to put Dons ahead with 62 minutes on the clock when Agard won and took his own penalty, only to see it brilliantly saved by Wanderers keeper Mark Howard.

Dons have struggled from the spot for a while now, with Ben Reeves - the club’s usual taker - missing Dons’ last league penalty away at Rochdale last month.

“Kieran wanted to take it,” Robinson explained. “We practice every day, but I want the person who is most confident to take it. We’ve probably missed four of the last five penalties. It’s something we have to rectify quickly. But that was one the best penalties I’ve seen in a while and the keeper has pulled off a remarkable save.”