Peterborough boss Grant McCann described his side’s 1-0 defeat against Wanderers as “a good battle”.

Substitute Dapo Afolayan got the decisive goal four minutes from time when his strike hit a defender and wrong-footed Lucas Bergstrom in the Posh goal.

McCann’s side have now lost their last six matches in all competitions as they adjust to life back in the third tier.

“I thought it was a nip and tuck game really,” said the Peterborough boss. “Apart from maybe a couple of chances Bolton had where Lucas made a good save and one’s hit the post, there is not much in the game.

“It was a good battle to be fair. From an attacking point of view, obviously disappointed. We never created any real openings and when we did, we never got in the position to take it.

“Defensively, I was quite pleased on the whole. I thought we looked strong, obviously a change of shape.

“And then one lapse of concentration where we don’t pick a second ball up in the middle of the pitch results in a goal. A big deflection off I think Ronnie [Edwards], and that has cost us the game.”

He added: “When you are coming to a place like this, they are strong at home. They are always going to have opportunities against you.”

Plenty of bookings were dished out throughout the match and McCann admits he felt referee Carl Brook lost control at times.

When asked if he thought the game was going to boil over at any stage, the Posh chief said: “I think it was a feisty game because the referee lost it a wee bit in terms of the control of the game, to be honest.

“For both teams, it was like that. There wasn’t really a dirty tackle in the game, and it just got to that stage where it became that sort of game.

“But it is another defeat for us. We have to make sure we learn from this and move on and get better.”

Both sides are back in action on Tuesday night in the Papa John’s Trophy, facing Tranmere Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s respectively.