Swindon has a giant, weird roundabout, but it’s a big crossroads that Wanderers find themselves at as they travel to the County Ground on Saturday.
It’s an early kick off, and if you’re not one of the 500 or so Wanderers fans in Wiltshire, this game will be shown live overseas, so you know, there are ways of watching it. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
Onto the crossroads. A win, and Wanderers can go back into the playoff spots. If they lose a third league game in a row, that superb start to the season will be ancient history. We’re actually only four points above the relegation zone.
We’re also without two full backs, but hopefully Gary Madine will be fitter than last weekend.
Vital Quotes:
“We need to set ourselves up in a structure. We need to run the hard yards for 90 minutes.
“At the start of the season we were pushing ourselves physically and mentally to get results but for some reason that has dropped off in recent league games. It was better on Tuesday night and I want that again.”
Phil Parkinson, words courtesy of the Bolton News.
Swindon Town Team News:
Brad Barry has a hamstring problem, while Lloyd Jones has a bad hip, so both will be missing. Joint-top scorer Michael Doughty is also missing, with Jordan Young and Jordan Stewart, all being injured, while hopefully the reason Jamie Sendles-White is missing is because he has a double-barreled surname. No place in football for that sort of stuff.
Player to watch: Jonathan Obika
One of three players picked out in our Scouting Report you will have read yesterday, Obika has a couple of goals this season, but one less than Gary Madine.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Dean Moxey is out with a groin injury, and Lewis Buxton has a knee problem. Chris Taylor apparently still has a virus. It’s been a while. Is it Ebola?
Dorian Dervite was on the bench on Tuesday and I sort of hope he stays there. Max Calyton has started training but too early for a return.
Player to watch: Gary Madine
He returned last weekend, and didn’t seem completely fit. That’s understandable. Hopefully, he’ll be more at it tomorrow. We’ll be stronger for it.
Match Facts & Stats
This will be our first meeting at the County Ground for 17 years and five days. That day Neil Cox, Robbie Elliott, Ricardo Gardner and Dean Holdsworth all scored in a 4-0 victory.
We then beat them 2-0, again in the league at the Reebok, the very same month.
The 1995 League Cup Semi Final. Has to be mentioned, yeah?
We have lost both games to Swindon that have been played in the third tier, but overall we have 10 wins and eight losses in all competitions against Town.
Both teams have won only one of our last six in all competitions.
Ref Watch:
I haven’t checked. But he’ll be rubbish.
Match Prediction:
We’re both in mediocre form. 0-0.
Next Fixtures:
Oldham at home, then a trip to Milwall, next Saturday and Tuesday respectively