Score predictions - Bolton home

Game number 2 of 7 in March sees Bolton return to the site of their Play Off exit last season. The reds are currently minor favourites to win their 3rd straight home league game, priced at 16/11. The Trotters are slightly longer at 7/4 to avenge that defeat, and end a losing streak of 2 on their travels.


Back to back away league defeats at local rivals Blackpool and Wigan, have seen Bolton fail to capitalise on Derby County's wobble in form. Despite having the 5th best away record in the division, Wanderers have lost 3 of their last 6 games away from the Toughsheet Stadium (won 2, drawn 1). In the run in, Bolton are still to travel to Oakwell, Derby, Stevenage and Peterborough, and have already lost away at Portsmouth and Leyton Orient. In fact, the only side Bolton have beaten in the top half of the table away from home is Lincoln, and even that was in the 89th minute with the Imps a man down. Bolton's overall form is quite mixed too having won 3, drawn 3 and lost 2 of the last 8, dating back to our reverse fixture. They're 13th in the 5 game form table, where the reds are 2nd (behind Portsmouth on GD).


Historically, our recent record against Bolton at home isn't great. Our last regular league victory over the Whites at Oakwell was our first ever Premier League home win, and came courtesy of Georgi Hristov and Eric Tinkler, with a Peter Beardsley equaliser in between. We actually beat Bolton twice at Oakwell that season, with Darren Barnard also a match winner in the FA Cup. Despite Liam Kitching's winner last season in the Play-Offs, we've actually gone 7 league games without a home win over the Trotters. Although prior to 2001, we'd won 9, drawn 6 and lost just 2 of the 17 meetings since 1899, in all competitions, including 4 consecutive wins between 1972 and 1988.


Bolton's obvious danger man is Dion Charles, who has 13 goals this season. He has missed the last 5 games with a knee injury, though is thought to be close to a return. It was confirmed that he suffered a setback shortly before the Wigan game which ruled him out of that one, and their victory over Cambridge yesterday. Aaron Collins, signed from Bristol Rovers in January has started the last few games in Charles absence. He's netted 16 times in back to back seasons for Rovers, though has only found the net 4 times this season, including his first for Bolton yesterday. Towering defender Ricardo Santos is likely to be in the line up for this, having missed our clash at Bolton. Whilst dependable, he has often suffered from poor discipline; he has been sent off twice this season (although his most recent one was overturned), 5 times whilst a Bolton player and 8 times in his career.


Referee James Bell has issued 84 yellows and 5 reds in 19, mainly championship games he's taken charge of this season. His last Bolton fixture was their 2-0 home win over Crewe in November 2021, where the Trotters were awarded a penalty. He also took charge of their 2-0 defeat at Rotherham a couple of months earlier. He's never taken charge of a Barnsley fixture. As mentioned elsewhere, he's a 'massive' Sheffield Wednesday fan, and Ipswich had him removed from a fixture last season as they felt there was a conflict of interests in him taking control of their game with Charlton.


For me, the Derby game proved that we can get up for the bigger sides in the division, similarly to how we did last season. Whilst we're still leaking goals, we seem to be scoring them from all over the pitch, as demonstrated by the 4 different goalscorers yesterday. I think we're very much on a roll, and will take advantage of Bolton's slight dip in form. I'm going for 3-1 reds, with Cole, Phillips and De Gevigney on the scoresheet.

 

1-0 will do

 

Looking forward to this match , can't make it unfortunately but will be watching on ifollow 3-2 reds cmon

 

2-0 reds

 

4-0

 

2-2. Next loss will be Pompey then unbeaten for rest of normal season.

 

2-1 us, with Evatt, blaming the ref, their fans, our physicality, the phase of the moon, Yorkshire tea leaves, Paddy Power and the lack of Kleenex in the executive areas.

 

Not predicted a result reight all season so i'm going to stick with mi 5 - 0 and hopefully this time, you never know, deep down i think wer gunner get hammered, i hate these feelings.i'm aving two 7 fold bets an i'm aving an home win in one an away win in the other, if they draw i'll be happy with that, keep the faith, C,O,Y,R.

 

0-10

 

0-1. Wendy referee gives a penalty when Victor trips over his own feet.

 

Excited for this one. Think it will be a cracking game to watch as a neutral, but I’m not a neutral so 3-2 reds.

 

1-1 which wouldn’t be the end of the world

 

0-0

 

4_2

 

1-1

 

2-1 to the Reds, Cole to notch along with Kane.

 

Long overdue a league win against these - I was there for the Premier League win and I will be there Tuesday to see another cracking game, similar to Derby. Another win for us on this unstoppable charge to the top of the league. We'll get there by the end of this month I reckon.

2-1 to us.

 

I remember G Hristov scoring a great header against them in the premier season , in the cup ? It might have been his first goal for us as well.

 

Another pivotal game in the context of the season.

We should have beaten them comfortably in the reverse fixture, and I reckon the players will be quietly confident of putting things right. With Earl and Pines in the squad we're already stronger than we were for the away game, so I fancy us to get another 2-1 win. Could do with not conceding early though!

A win would probably make us favourites for one of the automatic slots. Even a draw wouldn't be a disaster, but a win would be absolutely huge. I think we'll get it.