BOLTON v NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Bolton keeper promises to ‘go for it’
BEN ALNWICK called on his Bolton teammates to wipe the floor with Nottingham Forest at the Macron Stadium today. The Trotters are just one point behind Barnsley and Burton Albion but their shocking goal difference means nothing less than a win will be enough for them to avoid the drop. Sounds easy, but maybe not for a Bolton side who have picked up three points just once in their last dozen games and are without a win in seven. But Alnwick insists form means nothing in this win or bust showdown for Bolton.
“We just need to go all guns blazing,” roared the former England U-21 keeper. “We have no choice in the matter – we just have to go for it.
“We can’t sit back and defend – we need to throw everything we have got at Forest. You can almost turn it into a cup game of sorts – you just go gung-ho.
“Today is our FA Cup Final and we’ll be giving absolutely everything we have got this afternoon.
“Form is irrelevant in games like this – it doesn’t matter what has happened in the last few weeks. Ultimately, we’ll just be going out today looking for all three points.
“We know how much this means to everybody at the club and we’ll be fighting to get the victory.”
A run of good home form around Christmas and into March of one defeat in eight gave the fans the belief that survival was on the cards.
But the club have sunk down the league in recent weeks having picked up just one point in seven games.
Yet survival would cap an excellent weekend for Alnwick who was voted Player of the Year by the fans on Friday.
He added: “It’s a great feeling and I really do appreciate the fans voting for me, but all that matters to me right now is getting the win this weekend against Nottingham Forest to give us a chance of staying in the league.” ■■Bolton are winless in their last nine league matches against Nottingham Forest (D5 L4) since a 2-0 win in March 2001.