Boro travel across the Pennines to Bolton this evening aiming to put Saturday's defeat at Leeds firmly behind them and get back on track again. It won't be an easy task looking for points at a stadium where Boro have never previously won but perhaps the ground name change can be a good omen. Kick off is a late 8pm at the newly named Macron Stadium.

Boro go from early kick off to late kick off and once again we face a team linked with sponsors Macron but this time it is the side from Bolton, or should that be Horwich, that stand in our path. We really need to clear that path this evening in setting out to build a strong away campaign. We won't achieve anything with home success alone but it is never easy progress at the home of the Wanderers.

Last New Year's Day we got off to a flier against Bolton but our early 2-0 lead was eroded through the second period to leave us sharing the spoils. A draw is about as good as it ever gets beneath Winter Hill but that was a great opportunity to finally bring back all 3 points. How timely it would be to finally set the record straight tonight.

Young Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford was giving the Hurworth set-up the once over yesterday, lets hope he decides to come in on loan and provide extra striking options. Kike found it hard going on Saturday against a really robust and well marshalled Leeds defence. We can't expect him to continue scoring every game so the more quality forward reinforcements the better and moving for a 20 goal plus forward, hungry for more, has to be a big plus for us.

Aitor Karanka could well make a couple of changes after the Leeds defeat. He might decide he needs to pep up a team that is playing a lot of football in this first month of the season. If Dean Whitehead drops out for Adam Clayton he will count himself very unlucky having policed the midfield in the first two games. But Clayton has the talent to take matches by the scruff of the neck for his new club.

Aitor is backing his keeper at the moment Tomas Mejias, lets hope that faith is repaid by a more composed performance from start to finish. Thinking of Leeds and Sheff Wed last season, we need composure particularly near the finish.



Bolton manager, Dougie Freedman, and apparently he hates Doogie, has a tough job on this season at a cash strapped club. But his remit is quite clear to defy the odds and return Wanderers to the Premier land. Join the club, then.

Former Redcar Rock, David Wheater, should be in the heart of the Bolton defence but it is a defence that has shipped 7 goals already this season and we are only in week 2! Let's hope Kike and co. can get to work tonight and cause more collateral goal damage.

Mind you, in Joe Mason and Craig Davies Bolton have a twin strikeforce that can potentially pose us plenty of problems. No Lukas Jutkiewicz of course as he is now on Premier duty for Burnley but Joe Mason caused us trouble in the past while with his parent club, Cardiff City. Indeed Mason is up and running already this season having scored in the impressive 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last Saturday. That was certainly a point in the right direction and one that indicates this will be a testing head to head this evening.

So, Boro need to get back on course again and show the same spirit, determination and application that saw Birmingham and Oldham relegated to also rans.



Fmttm Prediction: Bolton 1-1 Boro – but my heart is going for a repeat of the result (but not scoreline) last Tuesday in a neighbouring neck of the woods, Oldham. In fact we could actually see Winter Hill that stands above Bolton's ground from Boundary Park and could dream of a repeat win.



