Coyle satisfied with Bolton performance despite 2-0 loss at Newcastle
Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by YAHOO Sport
Owen Coyle believes that his Bolton side played well despite losing 2-0 to Newcastle on Monday afternoon.
The Trotters were spirited and committed throughout the first two thirds of the match but, in the 73rd minute, Hatem Ben Arfa dribbled from inside his own half to put the home side ahead.
Coyle, whose side has lost two games on the bounce having won its prior three league games, is unhappy that his team leaves the Sports Direct Arena with nothing after putting in so much effort.
“My disappointment is that we left this game with no points given the level of performance because we were terrific," he told reporters after the match. “We accept that Ben Arfa scored a great goal that could have been avoided but prior to that we were the team creating the chances. Tim Krul made a couple of wonderful saves and Darren Pratley was within a toe’s length away from getting on the end of Martin Petrov’s cross.
“This was a team playing against a team with Champions League aspirations with 50,000 fans backing them to the hilt and my lads more than stood up to that.”
The defeat leaves Bolton only one point above the relegation places with six games remaining, but Coyle is confident that the Lancashire club can beat the drop.
“There is a lot to be pleased about,” he insisted. “If we offer that level of performance for the total duration of a match then we will pick up enough points to stay in the Premier League. That is our focus. The players have been a credit to themselves with everything that has happened over the last month and what we have to do now is recharge the batteries."
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