“I think players have played for their countries and we've had a split group [with players away for internationals and others staying at Rush Green] for long enough now to know that when we're back in, we're back in and working,” he continued.
“That's what we've been doing all week. That first half was probably the most disappointing aspect of that because we weren't quite at it and let them get a goal. It was always an uphill battle chasing a game where we felt we had the better chances and we could have really took control of the game.
“But we didn't do that and that's something for us to have a look at over the next couple of days.”
Bowen concluded by saying he was pleased to see Niclas Füllkrug make his comeback following three months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
The German was a whisker away from a leveller with that late header which came back off the crossbar, and Bowen is looking forward to feeling his impact over the season’s closing stretch.
“Fülle came on and did really well,” he explained. “He would have been disappointed not to start but I think the way he worked showed what this manager requires and I think what we require as a group to push everyone every single day in training.
“It’s massively important having him back, and Evan Ferguson as well is getting up his match minutes because he's been out for a long time too.
“It'll be a really big boost having them both available. We don't want to have one of those ends of the season where we just let it fizzle out. We still have a lot of football to be played, still a lot of points to be made and that's down to us to do it.”