PHIL THE FORCE OF RAGING FANS Supporters make it hot for Parkinson
RAGING Bolton fans turned on manager Phil Parkinson with their place in the Championship hanging by a thread.
Battling Burton bashed Bolton and have an amazing chance of saving themselves from the drop on Sunday.
First-half goals from Hope Akpan and Lucas Akins gave the Brewers their third successive win while Bolton could be heading back to League One after seven games without a victory.
Angry Trotters fans tried to get to Parkinson, who said: “I feel for our fans coming down in numbers, paying good money, because that performance wasn’t good enough. The fans were angry and I can understand that.
“Yes, they are hurting, but if they knew how much it’s hurting me, to see us go down with a whimper...
“I’ve always defended the lads, but today there wasn’t enough out there.
“We’ve got one last bite of the cherry against Nottingham Forest next week and whatever happens I want to come off the pitch holding my head up high that we put in a performance worthy of a team who are fighting for their lives.” The majority of Bolton supporters were massed behind the goal where Akpan and Akins scored. They chanted “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” and booed their team off.
But travelling fans in the main stand surged on to the walkway between the seats and the pitch after Burton’s second goal and were heading for Parkinson when stewards blocked their way.
Extra stewards and police also helped to calm things down as scuffles threatened to break out. Bolton’s problems on the pitch, with one point out of the last 21, have plunged them into serious trouble.
They were a goal down after 28 minutes when Liam Boyce laid off a pass and Akpan fired into the top left-hand corner for his first goal of the season.
It was 2-0 after 36 minutes when Bolton got into a right state over a Burton corner and Akpan fed Akins, who coolly put it away
Burton boss Nigel Clough was happy enough.
“We wanted to take it to the last game and we’ve done that,” said Clough, whose side visit Preston on Sunday. “Now we have to finish it off. “We know what we’ve got to do next week. We lose and we are down.”