By Mark Heys
October 28 2005

Bolton Wanderers face one of their toughest fixtures to date with a difficult trip to the capital to take on in-form Charlton Athletic tommorow afternoon.

The Addicks have been in excellent form since the season started and currently lie in second place to runaway leaders Chelsea whom they defeated in the Carling Cup in midweek.

Bolton haven't lost at The Valley since September 1999 when goals from Graham Stuart and Clive Mendonca cancelled out a Michael Johansen strike. Stuart and future Charlton player Andy Todd where sent off for fighting on the stroke of half time and Mike Whitlow later saw red for the Wanderers.

That's not to say that these games are bad tempered, far from it, they are usually played in the right spirit between two similarly sized clubs who have enjoyed a good relationship over the years.

The Wanderers have made Europe for the first time this season and one expects that Charlton will follow suit and be in and amongst those teams competing for a place in next season's UEFA Cup come the end of the season.

Sam Allardyce's team have never lost in South East London in the Premiership with three out of the last four visits to Charlton ending in a 1-2 scoreline to the Trotters.

Allardyce is still without Nicky Hunt (broken leg) and Ivan Campo (broken foot)for this game but there is better news for Jay-Jay Okocha and Gary Speed as both resumed training at the end of last week.

Mexican veteran Jared Borgetti will be pushing for a starting place after netting his second goal in a week in the League Cup game against West Ham United on Wednesday evening.

Irish U-21 international Joey O'Brien will once again be expected to fill in as a makeshift right wing-back with striker Henrik Pedersen competing with Ricardo Gardner for a place on the opposite flank.

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley will be without injured trio Shaun Bartlett (ankle), Jason Euell (shoulder) and Gonzalo Sorondo (hamstring) but Alexei Smertin is back after being ineligable to face parent club Chelsea in the week.

Moroccan Talal El-Karkouri faces a late fitness test so on-loan Manchester United youngster Jonathan Spector or the experienced Chris Perry are line to start.

Bryan Hughes and Bury-born Matt Holland are expected to resume their places on the Addicks bench despite their midweek heroics against Chelsea. Bulgarian Radostin Kishishev is expected to start.

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

15/12/2001 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0

23/03/2002 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 (Johansson) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Djorkaeff 2)

24/08/2002 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Djorkaeff) CHARLTON ATHLETIC 2 (Bart-Williams, Euell)

18/01/2003 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 (Fish) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Djorkaeff)

30/08/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0

31/01/2004 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 (Johansson) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Pedersen, Nolan)

14/08/2004 BOLTON WANDERERS 4 (Okocha 2, Pedersen 2) CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 (Lisbie)

16/04/2005 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 (Jeffers) BOLTON WANDERERS 2 (Okocha, Diouf)

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 8

Won: 4

Drawn: 3

Lost: 1

CONNECTIONS

Anthony Barness, Mark Fish, Claus Jensen, Alan Kernaghan, Don McAllister, Neil Redfearn, John Salako, Mike Salmon, Andy Todd, Charlie Wright.

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED THE ADDICKS

Youri Djorkaeff became an instant hero when earning relegation threatened Bolton an all important win at The Valley in March 2002. The former World Cup winner struck twice from long range to record his first goals for the club.

Some ten months later he scored again at The Valley, this time to secure a late point after former Wanderer Mark Fish had put Charlton in front. Djorkaeff acrobatically converted Michael Ricketts pass for one of his finest goals in a Bolton jersey.

Jay-Jay Okocha hadn't scored a league goal throughout the 2003-2004 season but he was to score twice for Bolton against the Addicks on the opening day of the following season