Hughes: we don’t get the credit we deserve

Bolton 1 Blackburn 2

Two penalties from Benni McCarthy continued his side’s superb run of form despite a late rally from the home side which saw Nicolas Anelka pull one back and an Abdoulaye Faye effort ruled out.

Hughes said: “We certainly don’t get enough credit for the way in which we go about our business. I have got creative players in my team who want to be on the ball and show what they can do.

“At times we do get painted in a certain way which is a little bit frustrating. We can do the hard stuff but there is a lot more than getting stuck in. You don’t get into Europe by kicking people.”

Hughes was full of praise for McCarthy, who took his tally for the season to 18 by accomplishing something his manager admitted he was always loathe to do.

“I would never take penalties,” Hughes added. “You have got to have that belief and it is difficult to do it in a game where emotions are running high and the adrenaline is flowing. Benni grabbed the ball and he wasn’t going to allow anyone else to take them. You need mental strength, courage and belief in your own ability to do that.”

Hughes feared the game might slip from his side’s grasp after Anelka’s late strike set up a grandstand finish which nearly produced an equaliser for Faye.

“With a few minutes to go you do worry it might slip away and it was a game we should have won comfortably. In the end, I think we got what we deserved and it has been a big week for us.”

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce had no complaints with referee Rob Styles’ two penalty decisions, nor the offside flag which ruled out what would have been a dramatic injury-time equaliser.

Allardyce said: “It did look marginally offside, but it is such a shame that an offside flag should have cancelled out what was such a monstrous header. It looked like a top quality goal and it is a shame, but it is our own fault for giving two ridiculous penalties away.”

Opta Fact: This was Mark Hughes’ 100th Premiership game in charge of Rovers and his 40th win.

Opta Fact: Rovers have gone 16 Premiership games since a draw (nine wins, seven defeats).

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Faye, Ben Haim, Pedersen, Nolan, Campo, Speed (Teymourian 78), Giannakopoulos (Vaz Te 69), Anelka, Diouf.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Emerton, Nelsen, Samba, Warnock, Bentley (Gallagher 85), Dunn, Mokoena, Pedersen, Derbyshire (Roberts 73), McCarthy.

Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).