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Jay Spearing insists Oldham Athletic will not be able to ruffle high-flying Wanderers’ feathers.
Rivals Fleetwood were beaten at Boundary Park last weekend, and table-topping Sheffield United have also dropped points on the Latics’ unpredictable pitch.
The Latics have been a team reborn since John Sheridan came back for a second spell in charge at the start of the year and have started to pull away from the relegation zone.
And though other sides have struggled on a weathered playing surface – Spearing reckons Wanderers will be able to cope.
“I don’t have any concerns. Whether it’s grass, sand or mud we have to go there and compete,” he told The Bolton News. “And we can mix our game up.
“The place doesn’t hold any fear for us, we believe in ourselves.”
Wanderers’ task should be simple come Saturday lunchtime, with their promotion rivals all in action tomorrow afternoon.
Simply put, if Fleetwood and Bradford lose AND Scunthorpe fail to win Whites could seal promotion in front of 4,300 travelling fans.
Regardless of what happens elsewhere, a win against Oldham followed by three points in Tuesday’s derby with Bury at the Macron would guarantee promotion.
Wanderers’ position remains an enviable one but an ultra-cautious Parkinson has been keen to keep focus completely on the task, putting forward Spearing as the only player given permission to speak to the local media in the build up to the Oldham game.
Talk among fans has been geared largely towards the absence of Gary Madine. The latest news from Wanderers is that the big striker is making steady progress from the shoulder injury which ruled him out of the defeat at Scunthorpe.
Victory at Oldham does not hang on the target man returning to full fitness in Spearing’s eyes, however, and the midfielder reckons there is enough strength in depth to manage without him this weekend.
“Look at the lads on the bench,” he said. “Gary Madine has been fantastic for us this year and I can’t take that away from him – he’s an unsung hero for us, I believe. He does a lot of the hard work up front, often on his own.
“But Longy is there, Max Clayton and Conor came in at Scunthorpe – and anyone who gets on that pitch knows we can play it short or long.
“We have got to push on and go again.”
Conor Wilkinson was brought in for only his second start of the season at Glanford Park and Spearing reckons he deserved the opportunity after putting in the hard work at Lostock.
“Conor has been out on loan quite a bit and done himself well, he works hard and maybe you don’t see that behind closed doors,” he said.
“He could have maybe got himself on the end of one or two but he’ll learn from the experience and it was a tough game to come into.”
Of the starting line-up at Scunthorpe, just five of the 11 starters are under contract for next season.
Spearing is one of the large number of first team players whose future is still under some doubt, although automatic promotion will make it easier for Ken Anderson and Parkinson to plan their budget before the summer rush.
The former Liverpool man has maintained for several months he was looking to prove himself again in a Bolton shirt after last season’s relegation and though a hamstring injury checked his form a few weeks ago, he feels he is now back to his best again.
“This season has gone well for me on a personal level and as a squad we’re happy with the way it has gone,” he said.
“I was disappointed to get injured when I did but that’s football. I wanted to get back as quickly as possible and now I think I am getting back to those levels and pushing on.
“I am trying to prove a point to everyone that I’m capable of playing good football.”
Source
Rivals Fleetwood were beaten at Boundary Park last weekend, and table-topping Sheffield United have also dropped points on the Latics’ unpredictable pitch.
The Latics have been a team reborn since John Sheridan came back for a second spell in charge at the start of the year and have started to pull away from the relegation zone.
And though other sides have struggled on a weathered playing surface – Spearing reckons Wanderers will be able to cope.
“I don’t have any concerns. Whether it’s grass, sand or mud we have to go there and compete,” he told The Bolton News. “And we can mix our game up.
“The place doesn’t hold any fear for us, we believe in ourselves.”
Wanderers’ task should be simple come Saturday lunchtime, with their promotion rivals all in action tomorrow afternoon.
Simply put, if Fleetwood and Bradford lose AND Scunthorpe fail to win Whites could seal promotion in front of 4,300 travelling fans.
Regardless of what happens elsewhere, a win against Oldham followed by three points in Tuesday’s derby with Bury at the Macron would guarantee promotion.
Wanderers’ position remains an enviable one but an ultra-cautious Parkinson has been keen to keep focus completely on the task, putting forward Spearing as the only player given permission to speak to the local media in the build up to the Oldham game.
Talk among fans has been geared largely towards the absence of Gary Madine. The latest news from Wanderers is that the big striker is making steady progress from the shoulder injury which ruled him out of the defeat at Scunthorpe.
Victory at Oldham does not hang on the target man returning to full fitness in Spearing’s eyes, however, and the midfielder reckons there is enough strength in depth to manage without him this weekend.
“Look at the lads on the bench,” he said. “Gary Madine has been fantastic for us this year and I can’t take that away from him – he’s an unsung hero for us, I believe. He does a lot of the hard work up front, often on his own.
“But Longy is there, Max Clayton and Conor came in at Scunthorpe – and anyone who gets on that pitch knows we can play it short or long.
“We have got to push on and go again.”
Conor Wilkinson was brought in for only his second start of the season at Glanford Park and Spearing reckons he deserved the opportunity after putting in the hard work at Lostock.
“Conor has been out on loan quite a bit and done himself well, he works hard and maybe you don’t see that behind closed doors,” he said.
“He could have maybe got himself on the end of one or two but he’ll learn from the experience and it was a tough game to come into.”
Of the starting line-up at Scunthorpe, just five of the 11 starters are under contract for next season.
Spearing is one of the large number of first team players whose future is still under some doubt, although automatic promotion will make it easier for Ken Anderson and Parkinson to plan their budget before the summer rush.
The former Liverpool man has maintained for several months he was looking to prove himself again in a Bolton shirt after last season’s relegation and though a hamstring injury checked his form a few weeks ago, he feels he is now back to his best again.
“This season has gone well for me on a personal level and as a squad we’re happy with the way it has gone,” he said.
“I was disappointed to get injured when I did but that’s football. I wanted to get back as quickly as possible and now I think I am getting back to those levels and pushing on.
“I am trying to prove a point to everyone that I’m capable of playing good football.”
Source