JASON Lowe described Tuesday night’s defeat at Blackpool as a “sickener” – but believes the Seasiders’ winning goal should not have counted.

The Bolton skipper believes he was fouled in the lead-up to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s injury time strike at Bloomfield Road.

Referee Paul Marsden thought otherwise and Lowe confronted the Lancashire official after the final whistle to voice his opinion.

“In this day and age I don’t think you need to get your legs broken to get a foul and I think it’s a foul, personally, but we had to defend the corner,” he told The Bolton News after the game.

“It’s the small bits in games where you have to really focus and it’s a sickener to get back into the game like we did, fight like we did, and to come away with nothing is really frustrating.”

Wanderers laboured in the first half after Keith Hill made three changes – dropping Jacob Mellis and Daryl Murphy to the bench and moving to a back three in defence.

Connor Ronan gave Blackpool an early lead and Lowe accepts the rest of the half proved a difficult watch for the 1,100 fans who made the trip.

“I think it was testament to them (Blackpool) and their organisation,” he said. “We needed a little bit more quality and probably us being a bit braver in our positional play and trying to receive the ball. But that was the frustration from the first half – there was a lot of huffing and puffing but we didn’t get into good enough areas enough times.

“I think we rectified it in the second half but it was still a frustrating and disappointing night. Narrow margins proved costly again.”

The fact Wanderers conceded from a set piece hurt Keith Hill, who has concentrated his players’ efforts on improving that area of their game in recent weeks.

“We have done a lot of work on it over the last month or two, really trying to set a stall out and be aggressive defending our box and on the whole I think we were good, defending crosses and set pieces,” Lowe said.

“if you don’t defend them all then one might go in.

“We created good chances at the other end as well to level it, so it’s just disappointing.”

Criticism has been voiced in some quarters towards manager Hill, who has overseen the worst start to a calendar year in the club’s history.

But Lowe believes results do not necessarily reflect the effort which has gone in from the players.

“There is plenty of pride in the dressing room and plenty of people wanting to play for the shirt – that will never change. And you have got to focus on the next game and try to win it,” he said.

“As a player there’s no better feeling than working all week and getting three points at the end of it. It is a feeling we are trying to crave and get back.

“The fans are following us looking for a boost and to change morale but it’s all on us. We are the only ones who can affect it.”