Full steam ahead

FRONT-LINE THREAT . . . fit again Bolton foward Gary Madine (right) will prove a handful for Athletic

BOLTON'S promotion charge will operate at full pelt on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off), according to a manager who has transformed previously ailing away form.

The 1-0 defeat at Scunthorpe last time out, courtesy of an 11th-minute David Mirfin goal, did not prove overly costly due to Athletic's defeat of Fleetwood, who lead the chasing pack.

Wanderers boss Phil Parkinson is not anticipating any lasting fall-out from the Glanford Park loss, which put an end to a streak of five straight wins away from the Macron Stadium.

With Fleetwood at Peterborough on Good Friday, when fourth-placed Bradford host Oxford, defeats for the duo directly under Bolton in the Sky Bet League One table will mean Parkinson's side will seal promotion with a victory against Athletic the following day.

"I think it's important we get a chance to recharge the batteries," Parkinson told The Bolton News. "You lose a game and naturally you are lower than when you win, and we'd been on a high after the Southend result (a 1-0 win at Roots Hall).

'POINTS GAP'

"But I don't need to pick up the players, probably because it turned out the points gap was the same to Fleetwood, only with a game less to play.

"We just need to keep doing what we are doing, concentrate on our recovery and plan for the Oldham game."

In a disastrous relegation season last time out, Bolton failed to pick up a single win away from home but this time, Wanderers have secured 11 victories on the road.

"When we had 12 games left I think we had eight away from home, so when you look that we have come through that so far with five wins and one defeat I think we would have taken that, no questions asked," added Parkinson, whose side have a seven-point cushion in the second automatic promotion spot.

"We just have to continue in the same vein at Oldham. There wasn't a great deal wrong with the performance, just that we conceded a poor goal, which is obviously something we'll go over.

"We couldn't make a breakthrough but I think the number of chances we created was great, more than Southend."