Are you excited? You`ve got to be. I am.
There`s a buzz around at the moment. And with tickets slashed to a fiver for tomorrow`s game against Chesterfield, there`s going to be the biggest crowd for a couple of years at the Macron tomorrow. The South Stand Lower is open too, it`ll look brilliant just to see the ground full-ish.
Anyway, the actual football. Chesterfield lie in wait. Twelve months ago Gary Caldwell was on the brink of getting Wigan promoted from League One, now he`s taking another team out of the division, alas for the Spireites it`s in the wrong direction, as they sit ten points from safety.
It almost sets it up as a situation where we have some fish in a barrel to shoot. I hope to God the team don`t think that. Be confident, but this is a team that beat us at their place in December. Be confident, but we`ll have to work hard. Same if you`re going, try not to get on top of players if they make a little mistake or something. If we get then right result, it could be a classic, memorable afternoon, and we could be nine points clear of Fleetwood, if they lost at home to Swindon, which admittedly is unlikely.
Vital Quotes:
“I`ve felt the place galvanise as the season went on. The atmosphere has got better and this is bound to be a cracking one because of the sheer numbers. We can`t fold our arms and expect to be two or three up. Chesterfield are fighting and they will make it difficult.”
Phil Parkinson in the Bolton News
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Ben Alnwick and Andrew Taylor won`t be available after their bad injuries at Shrewsbury last week. Gary Madine may or may not be available, but Jay Spearing could be in a position be in the eleven.
Player to watch: Dean Moxey
Plaudits have rightly come towards Filipe Morais by the bucketload, but all eyes might be on the other wing tomorrow. Taylor`s injury has left a void. Reece Wabara and Moxey have both been touted for the position, but despite his many knockers, Moxey surely has to play. He came off the bench last weekend and helped finish the job, keeping a clean sheet. Back him.
Chesterfield Team News:
David Faupala is suspended after a sending off against Rochdale, while Ched Evans faces a fitness test following a spell out.
Player to watch: Sylvain Ebanks-Blake
Ebanks-Blake has two goals in the last three games, and has done it at a higher level than League One, so he will need to be watched.
Match Facts & Stats
Bolton have won their last five games, while Chesterfield are winless in five.
This is set to be the first league game at the Macron with an attendance of 20,000 or more since the 2-1 win over Blackburn on Boxing Day 2014, when 23,203 saw Emile Heskey score a goal and set the other up. I still haven`t got my head around it.
If Bolton win, it will be six league wins in a row. This last happened in 2000, when West Brom, Preston, Tranmere, Huddersfield, Grimsby and Portsmouth were all beaten to ensure a good start to our promotion season under Sam Allardyce.
This is our first game at the Macron against Chesterfield, their last visit to Bolton was the 3-2 defeat when they went on their Cup run in 1997. The last time we hosted them in the league however, we won 5-0 in October 1988
Match Prediction:
I`ll go 2-0 Bolton. I`d take 1-0. Just win. Results are everything now.
Next Fixtures:
A trip to Southend on Tuesday, then another away day at Scunthorpe next Saturday.