Bolton Match Zone

Preview: Bolton v Nottingham Forest

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Bolton v Nottingham Forest
Championship, Sunday 6 May, 12.30pm, Macron Stadium
Watch: iFollow
Listen: iFollow (online), Tower FM (107.4FM)

We all know what’s happening tomorrow, we all know what could happen, we all know how big a game it is. We know it matters. Hopefully, the players and staff perform like it matters too. To stay up, we need to beat Forest and hope for two of the following three outcomes:

  • Burton not winning at Preston
  • Barnsley not winning at Derby
  • Birmingham losing against Fulham, and we make up the four-goal difference, and still have scored more goals than them

What the manager said

“Something might go against us this weekend, the ref’s decision, they might score a goal, we might be 1-0 down with five minutes to go but you’ve still got a chance of winning a game of football. Hopefully it won’t be that way, we’ll get the first goal and we can build from there but we’ve got to show the mentality.”

Phil Parkinson in the Bolton News. Phil, if we’re 1-0 down with five minutes to go, we aren’t winning.

Wanderers team news

Zach Clough and Tyler Walker will be unavailable as they were on-loan from tomorrow’s opponents. There seem to be no new injury problems, with Ken Anderson promising to pick a more positive team…

Who we would pick

Alnwick; Little, Beevers, Burke, Robinson; Pratley, Henry; Noone, Vela, Ameobi; Le Fondre

Forest team news

Chris Cohen has retired ahead of this game, opting to sign off after Forest’s final home game against Bristol City last week.

Opposition player to watch – Joe Lolley

Lolley was one of six deadline day signings brought in by Aitor Karanka, who had taken over as manager that month, coming from Huddersfield for an undisclosed fee. The winger has made more of an impact than most, scoring his first goal at QPR, and since adding two more.

Stats and facts

December’s reverse fixture ended in a 3-2 defeat, while our last game against them at the Macron ended in a 1-1 draw back in 2015, Stephen Dobbie’s stoppage-time equaliser cancelling out David Vaughan’s goal.

We are winless in nine league games against these lot, since Dean Holdsworth and Gareth Farrelly scored second-half goals at the City Ground in 2001. However, we are unbeaten at home against Forest in the league since 1978.

Bolton are seven games without a win, while Forest have lost their last three away games.

Match prediction

If we win, I can see things falling into place. But from what we’ve seen of late, I can’t trust Bolton to do their bit. 0-1.

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