Aston Villa striker Danny Ings says Bolton Wanderers made it 'very difficult' for the Premier League side in the Carabao Cup victory as he admits he was not sure if he was offside in the build-up to his penalty which proved a big moment in the game.
The Whites took a deserved lead in the first half when Dion Charles slotted home from inside the box for his first goal of the season. Douglas Luiz equalised before the break straight from a corner.
The Villans went ahead from the penalty spot when, despite suggestions of offside, Ings won a penalty at the expense of Joel Dixon. He picked himself up to slot home from the spot.
READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt on Aston Villa loss, 'offside' goal, six changes made & defence
The Villans added a third through Lucas Digne, before Leon Bailey capped off the win with a fourth towards the end. It meant the League One side exited the competition despite a spirited and encouraging performance in a 4-1 loss and bowed out at the second round stage.
The England international praised Wanderers for their approach to the encounter as they made life tough for the top flight outfit. He admits was not sure if was offside or not for the crucial decision which led to the Villa going ahead, but felt his side deserved their victory.
Asked if he might be offside in the build-up to the second goal and speaking to Sky Sports, Ings said: "To be honest, I don't have a clue. I just keep making that run and when it comes try and make the most of it. I had a bit of a bad touch, it wasn't great but I'm running at speed and luckily I got the penalty and tucked it away.
"It was a typical cup game on a Tuesday night. Very, very difficult. Bolton made it very, very tough.
"They came out of the blocks, they were working hard, making it difficult for us. But overall I think we did deserve to win.
"We created a lot of chances. I think a few more should have gone in tonight, but we're happy with the win.
"(At 1-0) we just needed to stay calm really, trust in our play and knowing that the chances are going to come and I thought we did that very well.
"Credit to Bolton, they made it extremely difficult, but overall we should be very happy with that performance."
Dixon was preferred by Evatt to Manchester City loanee James Trafford as goalkeeper. The former Barrow stopper, like Trafford, is good on the ball and Ings believes Villa tried to use this aspect to their advantage on the night.
He said: "We were told before the game he was good on the ball, he likes to pick up passes and all of this stuff, so for us we were trying to invite that first pass and it can set our press off and I thought we did that well.
"In transition we won the ball back, I thought we went pretty quickly and created a lot of chances. In the end I've come off the pitch frustrated I didn't get more goals but that's the way it is sometimes."
Don't miss a thing from the club you love! For all the latest updates on Wanderers , sign up to our free newsletter packed with all the latest news here.
READ NEXT:
