Captain spoke to the club website following Wanderers' late defeat at Loftus Road
Darren Pratley was left disappointed on his return to first team action following Wanderers’ late defeat to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
The midfielder, who had been sidelined through injury since the opening day of the season, started the clash at Loftus Road and completed just over an hour of a game in which the Whites were denied a point late on.
And speaking following the final whistle in the capital, the Bolton captain admitted that the fact that the team were unable to leave the clash with at the very least a share of the spoils was hard to take.
“It’s bittersweet for me, coming back but us having lost the game after being two nil up,” he said. “We started the game well, but to concede quite soon after our second and then just before half time to a poor goal was frustrating.
“Had we gone in at half time 2-1 up, perhaps it would have been a different game in the second half.
“When we did come out, we fell behind to a world class goal but then Wellington managed to score a good goal to pull us level and we should have seen the game out from there. To concede with seconds to go is massively disappointing for us.”
He continued: “If we’re honest, their goal so quickly after our second killed us. When you score away from home, especially two as we did, for the next five minutes you should maybe turn them and keep the game at 2-0.
“They scored straight away though from a poor header in the six yard box which shouldn’t be happening and then the second picked them up just before half time.
“In the second half, generally it was pretty even but when we got it back to 3-3, we should have seen it out – it isn’t good enough from us.
“We were probably guilty of pushing on for the winner, although a point away from home would have been a good result. Maybe we were a little too eager and naïve in our play and we’ve been punished for it.”
Making only his second appearance of the season in Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship encounter, Pratley believes that although Wanderers have the capability within the team to secure positive results, naivety ultimately cost them against the R’s.
“Even though I’ve been watching from the sidelines, the boys have been creating chances so we knew that the goals were going to come which they did today, but up the other end we need to be tighter,” he explained.
“When you score three goals away from home, you don’t expect to come away with a defeat whereas conceding four isn’t good at all.
“It’s come at a bad time with the international break now – obviously going two up, everything was rosy and when we equalised, we would have taken the point but ended up throwing it away.
“On a personal point, I felt alright. I’ve trained twice this week, so to play 60 odd minutes was pleasing but I’m obviously disappointed to be on the wrong side of the result.”