Relief for Lennon as Bolton beat Blackburn

Neil Lennon was relieved to see Bolton finish a troubled year with a 1-0 derby win over Blackburn Rovers.

The non-payment of wages, the threat of administration and tabloid allegations about the Irishman all figured in the build up to the match but a 77th minute goal from Gary Madine eased some of the pressure.

“It’s one of delight, one of relief as well,” Lennon said after his side’s second league win of the season. “It’s been a long time coming. I thought we were good value for the win.

“We had to withstand a little bit of pressure and we got a little bit of luck at the end. We deserved that luck, we haven’t any this season whatsoever. It’s nice to see people walking out of the ground with a smile on their face.

Lennon added: “I think they were smarting after Saturday (a 4-0 defeat at Rotherham) and they had to show pride in the club and the shirt – they’ve done that.

“That’s just one small step, we have to carry that on. We’ve still got a big fight on our hands but that’s a step in the right direction. I’m pleased for the players, they showed a lot of guts.

“A guy once said when you’re going through hell, keep going, so you’ve just got to keep going. It was really tough after Saturday, a lot of soul-searching over the last couple of days. (I’m) relieved today to get the win. Hopefully we can kick on from that now.”

Losing manager Paul Lambert said: “To have any aspiration to get out of the league you’ve got to perform week-in, week-out. I’m disappointed with the way we’ve played.”