MX23RW : Friday, December 13 07:20:45| >> :60:680:680:
[monks data]
Birmingham logo
Championship
Oct 18, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Bolton logo

0-1

FT(HT: 0-1)
Mills (20')

Preview: Birmingham City vs. Bolton Wanderers

Sports Mole previews Neil Lennon's first match in charge of Bolton Wanderers as they take on Birmingham City at St Andrew's.

Bolton Wanderers will get the Neil Lennon era underway when they travel to St Andrew's to take on Birmingham City in the Championship this weekend.

The former Celtic boss has already admitted that he faces a huge challenge with the Trotters, having been confirmed as their new manager last week.

He is certainly not wrong, with Dougie Freedman leaving the club bottom of the table having lost their last five matches in all competitions.

Indeed, they have only won once in the league all season and already find themselves five points adrift of safety, albeit at such an early stage of the campaign.

One of the main priorities for Lennon to attend to will be sorting out Bolton's away form. The Trotters have lost all five of their league games on the road this season, scoring just the one goal in the process.

Only Blackpool have scored fewer goals overall this season, while things aren't much better at the other end of the pitch either having conceded 21 times in 11 games.

Lennon is considered by most to be a shrewd appointment, however, and he could make a number of changes to the side that were beaten by 10-man Bournemouth last time out.

Birmingham have also suffered a fairly disappointing start to the season, averaging a point per game so far to sit 20th in the Championship table.

Just one win in their last 10 matches in all competitions will worry Lee Clark, who could well be gearing up for yet another relegation battle following their miraculous escape last season.

Home form continues to be a major issue for the club, with just one victory in front of their own fans in their last 23 outings - a run that stretches back more than a year.

They will fancy their chances of doubling that win tally against the league's bottom club, although Clark will know that the visitors will be buoyed by their new managerial appointment.

The hosts have no new injury concerns heading into the match and could be unchanged from the side that drew with unbeaten Charlton Athletic before the international break.

Recent form

Birmingham: DWLDLD

Bolton: LLLLLW

Possible starting lineups

Birmingham: Randolph; Caddis, Grounds, Edgar, Robinson; Gleeson, Arthur, Reilly, Davis, Cotterill; Donaldson

Bolton: Lonergan; McNaughton, Dervite, Mills, Moxey; Lee, Davies, Spearing, Feeney; Davies, Mason

Sports Mole says: 1-1


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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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Celtic manager Neil Lennon on the touchline against AC Milan during the Champions League group match on September 18, 2013
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1Wycombe WanderersWycombe18124239211840
2Wrexham19124328111740
3Birmingham CityBirmingham17123232161639
4Huddersfield TownHuddersfield18112528161235
5Stockport CountyStockport1996431191233
6Reading189453025531
7Bolton WanderersBolton179352827130
8Barnsley197662725227
9Lincoln CityLincoln197662423127
10Mansfield TownMansfield177372222024
11Exeter CityExeter187381619-324
12Charlton AthleticCharlton186571819-123
13Blackpool186572631-523
14Stevenage176471316-322
15Peterborough UnitedPeterborough186393332121
16Leyton Orient186391920-121
17Northampton TownNorthampton195682126-521
18Bristol Rovers186391726-921
19Wigan AthleticWigan185581516-120
20Rotherham UnitedRotherham175571620-420
21Crawley TownCrawley185491728-1119
22Cambridge UnitedCambridge1844101829-1116
23Burton Albion1825111630-1411
24Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury1832131835-1711


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