On Sky
Here we go then. It all comes down to this. 90 minutes at home to Peterborough stand between Bolton Wanderers and an immediate return to the Championship. If we win the game, we`re up. If we draw the game, we`re almost certainly up, as long as Fleetwood don`t make up their eight goal deficit in the goal difference stakes with a thrashing of Port Vale. If we lose, then a Fleetwood win would put us down into third place and consign us to the playoffs.
That`s what we have to do. Despite the awful kickoff time, pricey tickets, and the game being shown live on Sky, there will be more than 20,000 inside the Macron, and there is an expectation the attendance will exceed the Chesterfield game. And I am very, very nervous.
Vital Quotes:
“The lads are in a good place, and I think it`s good to have a few nerves going into a game like this. It`s about dealing with them and producing a good performance. We`ve got the players capable of doing it.”
Phil Parkinson, in the Bolton News
“It`s a bad one. But I felt like I had to get out there and play against Port Vale last week. I couldn`t let the fans down.”
Gary Madine explaining the seriousness of his shoulder problem, again in the local paper.
“I`ve been here a long time now and it would be great to see a big crowd and really celebrate. It`s been up and down. I`ve loved being at Bolton and it would be nice to get promotion and then go on.”
David Wheater`s words in the BEN.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Darren Pratley could return to the squad after his hamstring layoff. Gary Madine played through the pain barrier last weekend and is set to do that again.
Player to watch: All of Them
No stand out player tomorrow. I just hope they all dig in and get us over the line. I hope Gary Madine wins everything in the air, Wheater and Beevers are impassible and Filipe Morais bangs in cross after cross.
Peterborough United Team News:
Gwion Edwards, Ryan Tafazolli and Jermaine Anderson are all missing for the Posh. Andrea Borg and Junior Morias both scored for the reserves in midweek and may force their way into contention. Having said that, I`ve taken this from the preview on their official website. Going off the rest of the article, there are probably some inaccuracies in there.
Player to watch: Craig Mackail-Smith
The former Scotland striker is on his third spell with Peterborough, after he joined on loan from Luton mid-season. He has five goals in 17 games, and has scored two goals in the last three games alone. Also look out for Marcus Maddison, who is quite good at supplying them, and described by their boss Grant McCann as League One`s best winger on his day.
Match Facts & Stats
Bolton have lost just three games at home in the league this season, with Oxford, Charlton and Swindon coming away with maximum points. The last of those defeats was the Charlton game at the end of January.
Peterborough have just one away win since the start of March, a 1-0 success at Gillingham, who could be relegated tomorrow.
Bolton last won their final game of the season in 2010, when Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic scored to secure a 2-1 win at home to Birmingham. James McFadden pulled one back for the Blues. Since then, it has been three losses and three draws on the final day, including consecutive 2-2 draws which relegated us and kept us out of the Championship playoffs.
We won our last home game against Peterborough, back in February 2013. An early Craig Dawson goal gave us a 1-0 win as we started a fine run of home form.
Match Prediction:
I can`t see it being stress free, but I think we will do it. A 1-0 win for Wanderers.
Next Fixtures:
The first game of the 2017-18 Championship campaign, if all goes well. If we do blow it though, we would play one of either Millwall, Southend or Rochdale in the playoffs. The first leg would be away on Thursday at 7.45pm, with the second leg next Sunday at home at 6.30pm. But hopefully that will be Fleetwood`s problem.