MK Dons boss Liam Manning said his side lacked fight in defeat against Wanderers.

The Buckinghamshire men had been inconsistent going into Tuesday night’s game and were coming of a defeat to Exeter City – their fourth of the season.

But once Dion Charles’s penalty gave Bolton a 31st minute lead, confidence levels in Manning’s side visibly drained.

Asked if his side had done enough, he said: "No, ultimately, and the scoreline obviously reflects that.

"I didn't think there was much in it in the first-half. I thought we played some really good stuff at times without actually having the final bit.

"I thought the back and mid-third was okay. We showed more football than what we showed at Exeter but lacked a directness in the top-third, a lack of quality and ultimately gave away a penalty which is what hurt us.

"Confidence with the lads is understandably low because we have not been playing as we want to and not been getting the results we want to. With some of them, there's an edge to how they've played. That brings attention to it and that leads to sometimes a rashness, so it was hugely disappointing.

"I thought we came out well in the second-half. The first eight or 10 minutes up to the goal we had pressed a bit better, we got on the front foot and we showed a bit more directness getting into their penalty box, then the goal shifts the momentum massively.

"After that we have got to be better. In terms of how we react, how we respond and the fight we showed wasn't good enough.

"Momentum is massive in football. We speak a lot around it and I feel for the staff a little bit because it's a huge amount of work for the staff to try and give as much information as possible. The prep, the plans, the work in training, the detail that the staff go in to, but then it's about executing and doing your job.

"There were too many mistakes and too many turnovers, but despite that we still had two moments on the counter-attack where we're 1-v-1 but either didn't see or didn't play it. It's a combination of decisions and execution.

"We are in a fight, a scrap and ultimately what we have to do is stick together, own your individual performance and step up."