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Phil Parkinson reckons a point at Rotherham should not be under-valued as Christian Doidge got Wanderers out of trouble at the New York Stadium.
The former Forest Green man scored six minutes from time to cancel out Will Vaulks’ free-kick in a game of high effort but little quality.
Josh Magennis missed a penalty midway through the second half, which paved the way for Rotherham’s best spell of the game.
It looked like trouble for Parkinson with calls from the 2,000 travelling supporters to “sort it out” when Vaulks’ bobbling free kick put the home side ahead. But Doidge’s crisp finish after Clayton Donaldson’s hard work ensured the mood improved on the terraces.
“I’m relieved in the end, having gone a goal down,” said the Bolton boss. “The penalty miss was a turning point in the game.
“We started the second half really well but the miss lifted their crowd and players and the period of the game after that we were flat.
“You have to give the lads some credit for getting back into it. We responded well and the subs had a key role in it.”
Doidge has started just once since making a move from League Two in a deal which could rise to £1million.
And Parkinson hopes his debut goal for the club can give rise to more.
“I’m so pleased for Christian because he’s had to be patient,” he said. “When we signed him we said he’d have to be patient because it’s a long way ahead of where he has been.
“But he’s getting stronger, fitter and sharper in training and when the chances come to him you always think they are going to end up in the back of the net.
“It was a calm finish and it will give him a huge boost.”
Wanderers made five changes and played three at the back with Lloyd Dyer and Donaldson making their first league starts for the club.
Rotherham had the better of a bruising first half in which Gary O’Neil limped off with a calf problem.
Ben Alnwick, back in the side after injury, made a couple of decent saves from Richard Wood and Ryan Williams, but was beaten on 57 minutes by a scruffy free-kick which went under the defensive wall.
Magennis’ penalty had been Bolton’s only shot on target until Doidge’s equaliser but speaking after the final whistle, Parkinson said he had been content with the performance.
“We went three at the back and had worked on it in training. I felt we did okay,” he said.
“The front two looked a handful but getting that first goal is so important. We set out to get it, but it went to them and it’s then we looked to the character in the team.
“You never under-value a point away from home and Rotherham is a difficult place to come, as we have seen this season. The pitch is tight, the turf is heavy and they keep pumping those long balls towards Smith, long throws, set plays, and we had to deal with a lot of that.”
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The former Forest Green man scored six minutes from time to cancel out Will Vaulks’ free-kick in a game of high effort but little quality.
Josh Magennis missed a penalty midway through the second half, which paved the way for Rotherham’s best spell of the game.
It looked like trouble for Parkinson with calls from the 2,000 travelling supporters to “sort it out” when Vaulks’ bobbling free kick put the home side ahead. But Doidge’s crisp finish after Clayton Donaldson’s hard work ensured the mood improved on the terraces.
“I’m relieved in the end, having gone a goal down,” said the Bolton boss. “The penalty miss was a turning point in the game.
“We started the second half really well but the miss lifted their crowd and players and the period of the game after that we were flat.
“You have to give the lads some credit for getting back into it. We responded well and the subs had a key role in it.”
Doidge has started just once since making a move from League Two in a deal which could rise to £1million.
And Parkinson hopes his debut goal for the club can give rise to more.
“I’m so pleased for Christian because he’s had to be patient,” he said. “When we signed him we said he’d have to be patient because it’s a long way ahead of where he has been.
“But he’s getting stronger, fitter and sharper in training and when the chances come to him you always think they are going to end up in the back of the net.
“It was a calm finish and it will give him a huge boost.”
Wanderers made five changes and played three at the back with Lloyd Dyer and Donaldson making their first league starts for the club.
Rotherham had the better of a bruising first half in which Gary O’Neil limped off with a calf problem.
Ben Alnwick, back in the side after injury, made a couple of decent saves from Richard Wood and Ryan Williams, but was beaten on 57 minutes by a scruffy free-kick which went under the defensive wall.
Magennis’ penalty had been Bolton’s only shot on target until Doidge’s equaliser but speaking after the final whistle, Parkinson said he had been content with the performance.
“We went three at the back and had worked on it in training. I felt we did okay,” he said.
“The front two looked a handful but getting that first goal is so important. We set out to get it, but it went to them and it’s then we looked to the character in the team.
“You never under-value a point away from home and Rotherham is a difficult place to come, as we have seen this season. The pitch is tight, the turf is heavy and they keep pumping those long balls towards Smith, long throws, set plays, and we had to deal with a lot of that.”
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