THE timing of today’s announcement that the Wanderers squad had not been paid could have been better – but Neil Lennon was impressed with the mettle his players showed against Brentford to fight back for a point.

Neil Danns’ 65th minute equaliser cancelled out John Swift’s early strike and set up a grandstand finish in which either side could have claimed victory.

With so many off-the-field distractions, the Whites boss was pleased to see his side rally to earn a result.

“Those things don’t help but they are things that are out of my control,” he told The Bolton News. “What I can control is trying to motivate the players – and they looked pretty motivated, their attitude was good. But again we go back to that little bit of quality you need to make it count.

“We deserved a point and could have won the game. On reflection a draw was probably a fair result but the second half showing was good.

“We got the goal and looked to be in the ascendancy. I think there was only going to be one winner.

“They looked dangerous on the counter attack and we had to rely on Ben (Amos) later on but we had chances after we scored to put the game to bed.

Wanderers lost Max Clayton to a hamstring injury in the second half having fallen behind to a well-taken goal from on-loan Chelsea winger Swift.

“I thought we could have been out quicker and prevented their goal,” the manager lamented. “We should have blocked the shot. We were a little bit dozy.

“You have to get yourself back into the game from there and after we’d lost Max (Clayton) we went with the two big strikers up front in Shola Ameobi and Gary Madine and I think they were a handful.

“We got the goal we deserved and really strived to get the winner but it wasn’t to be.”