“Loads of the ball without purpose”: Barton’s take on Dons win over Rovers

Joey Barton admitted his team had no purpose with the ball in their defeat to MK Dons on Saturday.

Mo Eisa scored from the penalty spot after just three minutes to give Dons the lead, but from there, Rovers had more than 60 per cent possession but only mustered a single shot on target all afternoon.

Eisa then turned provider for Max Dean to rattle home Dons’ second in the 90th minute to secure the points for Mark Jackson’s side, resigning the Gas to a third straight defeat to a team scrapping against the drop.

“I thought we had loads of the ball without purpose,” Barton said. “It’s tough, you work hard all week to give our fans a good account of ourselves, certainly after the disappointment from last week (losing 5-1 to Morecambe). Within thirty seconds you concede a penalty and you’re chasing your tail a little bit.

“I can’t fault the lads’ effort and application. They were brave and still trying to do the right things. There is some good spells and good moments in there. If you don’t win games of football they don’t get remembered and you obviously get disappointed.

“The second goal chasing the game to get back in it and you get sucker-punched on the counter. It’s disappointing losing three games to the bottom five and six.

“It stings but we have to stick together, keep scrapping away and we could get drawn into a fight we don’t want to get involved in.”