Bolton have another big game tomorrow, and significantly, it’s a chance to move into the automatic promotion places, even if only for a few hours.
Dropped points in midweek mean Wanderers can go above Forest Green with a win at the New Lawn in the day’s early kick-off.
The game is live on Sky, who appear to be phoning their coverage in, with just a five-minute build-up. At least Keith Andrews is busy with the Republic of Ireland coaching staff, so we won’t have to hear him. iFollow won’t be showing the match, but non-Sky viewers can get a day pass for £9.99 on NowTV.
There will also be black armbands it seems for Frank Worthington after his death earlier in the week. A fuller tribute I imagine will happen at the next home game, against Colchester next Friday.
IAN EVATT | Manager ahead of Forest Green Rovers away fixture – YouTube
Team news
We should have a fairly full squad to choose from. Dennis Politic and Liam Edwards remain long-term absentees, Antoni Sarcevic remains injured but he will travel with the squad to provide moral support. Ian Evatt has talked Marcus Maddison up in the pre-match press conference but I would expect an unchanged starting XI.
Previously
This will be our first trip to the New Lawn, our only previous meeting being September’s reverse fixture. Carl Winchester scored the only goal at the UniBol that day, but he has since left the club and now plays for Sunderland in League One.
The opposition
Forest Green have been threatening promotion for a few years now, play-offs two seasons ago, and currently are third, but their recent form has been a bit mixed, and were held by Mansfield in midweek. If we win tomorrow, Tranmere could also leapfrog them, and they would drop to fifth. Jamille Matt, with 16 goals this season and Aaron Collins, who has a couple in recent weeks, are the most likely to hurt us.
Other key fixtures – all 3pm kickoffs
Exeter (8th) v Salford (9th)
Carlisle v Cambridge (2nd)
Crawley (10th) v Port Vale
Morecambe (6th) v Cheltenham (1st)
Tranmere (4th) v Mansfield
Prediction
While winning would be brilliant, a draw won’t be the end of the world. What we don’t really need is Forest Green opening up a four point lead over us. I can see a 1-1, and I’d probably be happy with that.