Kevin Davies rues costly lapse (From The Bolton News)

Kevin Davies rues costly lapse

8:10am Monday 2nd November 2009

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KEVIN Davies reckons just 60 seconds stood between Wanderers and a big result against Chelsea.

The skipper, celebrating his 500th career start, lamented his side’s defending in the build up to the visitors’ opening goal, and Jlloyd Samuel’s sending off, a minute before the break.

The full-back’s challenge on Didier Drogba proved to be the turning point of the game, leaving Wanderers to face the second half with 10 men and a goal down.

Had the Whites held out to the interval, Davies believes a very different afternoon would have unfolded.

“At that point we were playing well and it was just about seeing it out until half time,” the striker said. “We’d played really well for 44 minutes, created the better chances and were probably on top.

“The decision was made but the attack should have been stopped.

“He should never have got to that position. There was an opportunity on the halfway line to stop the attack, and before you know it, it was in the back of the net.”

Lampard’s penalty put Chelsea on their way to their second 4-0 victory over Wanderers inside a week, consolidating their position at the top of the Premier League.

But while Davies reluctantly accepted referee Phil Walton correctly called the penalty, he was disappointed that his side had not held out until the break.

“I thought we were playing quite well,” he said. “They were struggling to get through us and there were times that John Terry came out with the ball and didn’t have much to pass to.

“We changed our system to cause them problems and we did. We had a few chances and had the better of the first half.

“The sending off was a big turning point, similar to the Liverpool game.

“It was disappointing because Jussi is pretty good one-on-one and fancied himself in that position. It’s difficult for Jlloyd running at that pace and, with any sort of clip, he’s going to go down.”

Davies endured a frustrating afternoon, having a couple of penalty appeals turned down by referee Walton.

“I said to Pete (Walton) it would be nice if he could give one my way. I don’t think I had one foul given for me all afternoon,” he said.

“When you are concentrating on getting the ball it’s hard to tell whether it is a foul or not, you just get on with it.

“But if someone is trying to shake you off the ball, I think it should be a foul. If you don’t make a meal of it, sometimes that works against you.”

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