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Bolton logo
Championship
Feb 14, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Watford logo

3-4

Clough (37', 85'), le Fondre (41')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Ighalo (25'), Abdi (69'), Ekstrand (74'), Deeney (90')

Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs. Watford

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Bolton and Watford at the Macron Stadium as Neil Lennon looks to keep his unbeaten home league record alive.

Watford will be looking to strengthen their position in the playoff places when they travel to the Macron Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets picked up an important victory over 10-man Brentford on Tuesday night as Odion Ighalo once again proved to be the hero with a brace as his side came from behind to seal a late triumph over their top-six rivals.

That result saw Watford climb up to fifth in the table, and any slip-up from Ipswich Town away to Fulham this weekend would give Slavisa Jokanovic's side the chance to continue their ascent up into fourth place.

In Ighalo they have the league's most in-form player, with the Nigerian having scored 11 goals in his last seven games, 10 of which have come in 2015 - more than any other player in the top four tiers of English football.

That lethal scoring spree has helped Watford to four wins in their last five games and eight in their last 11, leaving them only six points behind league leaders Middlesbrough.

Most of their recent success has come at Vicarage Road, however, and the win over Brentford on Tuesday was doubly important for Jokanovic as it ended a three-match losing streak on the road in all competitions.

Despite the quick turnaround in fixtures, Watford could name an unchanged lineup, with Fernando Forestieri and Troy Deeney - both of whom scored in a 3-0 Watford victory in the reverse fixture - providing support for the red-hot Ighalo.

Bolton also come into this match off the back of a midweek victory and, like Watford, they left it late to grab all three points at home to Fulham on Tuesday night.

The Trotters scored twice in the final 10 minutes to complete a come-from-behind win, with Manchester United loanee Saidy Janko amongst the scorers in a man-of-the-match performance on his debut for the club.

The importance of the result will not have been lost on Neil Lennon, who had seen his side go five matches without a victory in all competitions before the game, including a heartbreaking exit from the FA Cup.

Three of those outings came in the Championship as Bolton conceded 10 goals on their way to just one point from a possible nine, but they do still remain unbeaten in the league under Lennon at the Macron, with that run now stretching to nine matches.

With Birmingham City not in action this weekend, Bolton would move into the top half of the table with a victory, a sign of the impressive work Lennon has done at the club since his arrival.

A number of new additions impressed during the week and are in line to start again on Saturday, with Barry Bannan expected to continue in the middle of the park and Adam le Fondre likely to keep his place alongside Eidur Gudjohnsen up front after both strikers scored against Fulham.

David Wheater passed a late fitness test to start that match and should be included from the off again, but the likes of Liam Trotter, Adam Bogdan, Emile Heskey, Mark Davies, Max Clayton and Matt Mills could all miss out once more.

Bolton:

Form in Championship: DWLDLW
Form in all competitions: DLDLLW

Possible starting lineup: Lonergan; Janko, Wheater, Dervite, Ream; Vela, Bannan, Danns, Feeney; Gudjohnsen, Le Fondre

Watford:

Recent form: LWWLWW

Possible starting lineup: Gomes; Paredes, Cathcart, Angella, Anya; Watson, Tozser, Layun, Ighalo, Forestieri; Deeney

Sports Mole says: 2-2


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