BOSS Gareth Ainsworth had few complaints about Wycombe Wanderers’ defeat at Barnsley on Saturday.
The visitors were more than a match for their promotion-chasing hosts and there was little in the contest until midway through the second half.
Wanderers were battling hard to cancel out a Cauley Woodrow first-half penalty for the home side at that stage.
Then came the turning point of the game as Luke Bolton was forced off with a serious head injury just minutes before Woodrow doubled Barnsley’s lead.
Joe Jacobson did pull one back in stoppage time, but it was too little too late.
Ainsworth said: “Luke’s fine and that’s the most important thing because it looked a lot worse than it could have been.
“I think the momentum of the game changed after that point. We’d had a really good spell and I always believe in us to score and create something, but the second goal was a killer.
“That left us with an uphill battle and it was tough to take, but you have to credit Barnsley. They’re a good side and, on the whole, they edged it.
“The had some decent chances and ours were few and far between, but we gave a real good account of ourselves and I just felt it was sloppy to concede in the way we did.”
The clash at Oakwell was not without its controversy as referee Matthew Donohue awarded the home side a debatable penalty which Woodrow converted and dished out a straight red card to Wycombe’s Adam El-Abd deep into injury time.
However, Ainsworth refused to point the finger at the match officials, adding: “Luke is adamant that he got a toe to the ball and their player has gone over his foot.
“I felt we could have had another penalty or two, but the referee has done a good job overall and he’s in a tough position. I wouldn’t like to do the job myself. There were a few yellow cards that maybe shouldn’t have been, and that heightens things.”
Wycombe hope to bounce back when they entertain Gillingham this Saturday (3pm ko).
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