A place in the playoffs and a place in League One are both at stake on Saturday when promotion hopefuls Bolton Wanderers take on relegation-threatened Bristol Rovers at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
The Trotters will be looking to build on their win last time out, while the Gas are desperate to stop the rot after four consecutive defeats.
Match preview
Steven Schumacher‘s Bolton went on a five-game unbeaten run between mid-February and mid-March that saw them win four and draw just one, but after losing three games on the bounce to end March, it would be fair to say that they stumbled in their push for promotion.
However, the Trotters managed to get back on track with a narrow 1-0 victory on the road to derby rivals Wigan Athletic earlier this week, and Chris Forino‘s stoppage-time goal was enough to secure their first win over the Latics for more than a decade.
The three points that Schumacher’s side escaped the Brick Community Stadium with was enough to lift them back into the playoff spots, though they are just one point ahead of seventh-placed Reading, two ahead of eighth-placed Huddersfield Town and three ahead of a resurgent ninth-placed Blackpool.
Saturday’s hosts will be keen to prove – to themselves, their fans and their rivals – that their victory was not a one off despite the dramatic timing of their winner, and with four wins from their last five home games, they will be confident of taking all three points once again when facing one of the division’s at-risk clubs.
Should Bolton manage back-to-back wins for the first time in almost a month, then they could open up a four-point gap between themselves in sixth and their playoff rivals, though defeat could see them fall all the way down to ninth by the end of the weekend due to their lacklustre goal difference.
Meanwhile, Inigo Calderon‘s Rovers are currently on a disastrous stretch of four losses that has placed their status in the third tier in jeopardy, including a 1-0 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals Crawley Town.
Last time out, the Gas followed up a 2-1 beating by Mansfield Town by losing 2-1 against league-leaders Birmingham City, but the manager may take heart from the fact that his team fought to get the score level against superior opposition in both games despite eventually being unable to hold out.
Dropping 12 points in their four most recent fixtures has left Calderon’s side 20th in the table, and though they have a three-point lead over Burton Albion in the relegation zone, the Brewers have a game in hand and are in much better form.
Every point is crucial for the Gas with the threat of demotion looming, but having avoided defeat on the road only five times this league campaign, this weekend’s visitors are likely to be low on confidence for the trip to Bolton.
That being said, Bristol’s last win did come against the Trotters on March 11, and if they are able to repeat that result on Saturday, then they could alleviate the threat that Burton’s game in hand poses to their place in the division, but a more likely fifth consecutive loss could cause them to drop into the relegation zone before Gary Bowyer‘s side even play their spare fixture.
Team News
Bolton’s derby-day match winner, centre-back Chris Forino, should start at the heart of Schumacher’s back three once again this weekend, with William Forrester and George Johnston either side of him.
Out wide, wing-backs Josh Dacres-Cogley and Jordi Osei Tutu will be providing width for the Trotters, while Joel Randall can be expected to support strikers Aaron Collins and John McAtee from his attacking midfield position.
As for Rovers, right-back Taylor Moore was withdrawn with an injury late on against Birmingham earlier this week, and if he is not ready to play on Saturday, then Joel Senior could join a backline featuring James Wilson, Connor Taylor and Clinton Mola.
Elsewhere, striker Gatlin O’Donkor scored an equaliser on Tuesday, but he will be keen to net a goal that adds some security to the Gas’ third-tier status on Saturday.
Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Baxter; Forrester, Forino, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley, Sheehan, Thomason, Osei-Tutu; Randall; Collins, McAtee
Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Ward; Senior, Wilson, Taylor, Mola; Sawyers; Forde, Shaw, Butcher, Sotiriou; O’Donkor
We say: Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Bristol Rovers
Bolton may have been out of sorts at the end of March, but they will be expecting to take all three points against a relegation-threatened team this weekend.
However, the Trotters did need a last-gasp winner to earn their victory last time out, and Rovers could make the game a close-fought contest in their desperation.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
