Peterborough owner addresses 'timewasting' claims against Wanderers

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has denied they were trying to run down the clock against Wanderers.

Klaidi Lolos scored a last-gasp winner at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last weekend as the Whites’ pressure finally paid off.

MacAnthony admitted Bolton were the better side on the day but was disappointed with the amount of stoppage time played.

“The goalkeeper (Nicholas Bilokapic) was Gordon Banks reincarnated! I haven’t seen a goalkeeping display like that in 19 years owning the club,” he said on his Hard Truth Podcast.

“He was phenomenal, he didn’t deserve what happened on Saturday. The saves he made, the dominance he had, what he did, he was just superb. He saved us over and over, to the point where six minutes go on the clock.

“I have seen comments from the Bolton fans about timewasting. With all due respect, we had three players go down – one with cramp who was substituted, Manny (Emmanuel Fernandez) had been stamped on his foot by accident by their player.

“He came off the pitch when they had a free kick, we aren’t going to take our tallest defender off to time waste when you are putting in a free kick.

“The third was the goalkeeper, he made a save and thought he had done something with his ankle. It is not time wasting, it was 0-0 and we were not winning the game.

“Peterborough want to win football games. Bolton is a big club, of course, you go there and want to get a result. Bolton were superb, they were better than us on the day and I am not taking any credit away from them.”

Posh finished fourth in League One last term but have struggled to find consistency since the start of the current campaign.

“We have obviously killed a black cat, we have had horrible luck this season on all fronts! The 97th minute, the ball goes in and our player is deemed to have fouled their player,” MacAnthony continued.

“It is rich and ironic since Manny Fernandez was rugby tackled at every single corner when he went up to score! The referee - big team, away, crowd – decided to give a penalty the last kick of the game.

“Nick makes two phenomenal saves and their player scored with his arm, it is a ridiculous decision.

“I don’t dig out referees and I don’t moan, but in 19 years I have to say this season… I don’t what we have to do to help but we have to improve the officiating.”

He added: “We need referees who have a bit more about them. We need a referee who, in the 97th minute - a minute-and-a-half (over) the injury time - blows the whistle because it is the right thing to do.

“It is a minimum of 96 but there was no timewasting in the six minutes of injury time.”