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Bolton logo
Championship
Mar 15, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Brighton logo

0-2

FT(HT: 0-1)
Buckley (13', 65')

Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between in-form Bolton and playoff hopefuls Brighton.

Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to keep their playoff hopes alive when they travel to the Reebok Stadium to take on Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

The Seagulls are currently just two points adrift of sixth-placed Reading with a game in hand over the Royals, although they are also two points behind Wigan Athletic having played a game more than the Latics.

A victory on Saturday could be enough to see them climb into the top six depending on results elsewhere, while it would also extend their unbeaten streak to four games.

Indeed, only in-form Wigan have beaten Brighton since the start of February in the league, and if they can continue that form then they will give themselves a real chance of sneaking into the playoffs.

Oscar Garcia's side boast the league's joint-best defensive record this season having conceded just 28 goals, but it is as the other end where the main problems lie.

They have only found the back of the net 37 times in their 34 matches, which is the lowest total in the top 17 of the table.

The Seagulls have been solid away from home in terms of results, but only Barnsley have scored fewer than the 12 goals they have managed on their travels.

Garcia will welcome Gordon Greer back from suspension and could put him straight back into the starting lineup, but he will still be without Andrew Crofts and Craig Mackail-Smith.

Bolton, meanwhile, have embarked on a fine run of form that should have ended their relegation worries once and for all this season.

Big wins over Blackburn and Leeds were followed up by a decent goalless draw with Derby on Tuesday, extending their unbeaten streak to five games and lifting them up to 16th in the table.

That puts them 11 points clear of the bottom three and, while they have played a game more than a number of the teams below them, it would take a freak set of results for them to be dragged back into the relegation mire.

That should allow Dougie Freedman to start planning for next season, when he will be hoping to launch a bid for the playoffs and potentially promotion back into the Premier League.

The Trotters have only lost one of their last eight league games at the Reebok, while they have won the last two without conceding a goal.

Freedman is still without Marc Tierney and Stuart Holden, who are both long-term injury absentees, but he could bring Joe Mason back into the side.

Recent form

Bolton: LDWWWD

Brighton: DLLWDW

Possible starting lineups

Bolton: Bogdan; Hutton, Knight, Ream, Baptiste; Medo, Spearing; Mason, Danns, Davies; Jutkiewicz

Brighton: Kuszczak; Bruno, Upson, Greer, Ward; Stephens, Andrews; Buckley, Lingard, Lua Lua; Ulloa

Sports Mole says: 1-1


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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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Oscar Garcia of Brighton looks on during the FA Cup fifth round match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Hull City at Amex Stadium on February 17, 2014
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
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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