BOLTON WANDERERS are reaping the benefits from reducing tickets to just £5 for tomorrow’s League One game against Chesterfield.
A run of 5 straight wins has sent the Trotters back into the top two at just the right time of the season, with Wanderers banging in 16 goals in the process.
Last Saturday’s 2-0 win at Shrewsbury, coupled with 3rd-placed Fleetwood’s 0-0 draw at Bury, gave Bolton 6 points of breathing space so with just 7 games left, promotion is in their hands.
With that in mind, ticket prices were cut for the visit of relegation-threatened Chesterfield and over 20,000 fans are expected at the Macron tomorrow. Bolton have even had to open the South Stand to home fans for the first time in over 10 years.
After hosting Chesterfield, Wanderers have away games against Southend and Scunthorpe, who are also in the top 6, so manager Phil Parkinson is glad there will be a potential sell-out as his side aim to chalk up another win and move closer to an immediate return to the Championship.
“It’s excellent, I’m really pleased with that,” said Parkinson. “The momentum of the support has been building and we’ve got to create a real intensity inside the ground, both with the performance and the atmosphere. We’ve got to make it as difficult as possible for Chesterfield.
“We’ve been on a terrific run, we’ve got ourselves into a great position, but we’re not patting ourselves on the back at this stage. We’ve got to remain focused, determined to keep reproducing performances and be understanding of what’s required each week. There can be no let-up, at all.”
Although ROCHDALE won 3-1 at Chesterfield last Saturday, their 3-match unbeaten run was halted on Tuesday night as they lost 3-1 at AFC Wimbledon. Dale’s Keith Keane was sent off at 0-0 before the Dons charged into a 3-0 lead and Callum Camps pulled one back with his 4th goal in 4 games.
That left Dale 9th, 6 points off the play-offs, and they now have back-to-back home games. Mid-table Northampton visit the Crown Oil Arena tomorrow before 4th-bottom Port Vale arrive on Tuesday night, when all tickets are just £1.
After holding Fleetwood last Saturday, BURY were thumped 5-1 at Oxford on Tuesday night, with former Wigan loanee Conor McAleny scoring a hat-trick. Manager Lee Clark apologised to fans after what he described as “an unacceptable performance” but the Shakers don’t have another game till next weekend so at least he has time to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Bury are now 4 points and 4 places above the drop zone, with OLDHAM a point and a place worse off after earning a 1-1 draw at home to leaders Sheffield United last Saturday. Latics visit 6th-placed Southend tomorrow hoping to go 5 unbeaten.
WIGAN need to produce a run like Bury and Oldham have recently done if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation back to League One but they have a tough game tomorrow at Championship leaders Newcastle. On Tuesday night 2nd-bottom Latics visit Ipswich, who are 17th.
Beyond the Big Two 