By Mark Heys
April 21 2006

Bolton Wanderers will be looking for their first Premiership win in over a month as they take on Charlton Athletic at the Reebok Stadium tommorow afternoon.

Not since a 2-0 success against the now relegated Sunderland on 18th March have the Wanderers been able to pick up maximum points as five defeats and a draw over the last six games have severely threatened any European hopes.

A draw away at West Bromwich Albion on Easter Monday helped to stop the worst sequence of Bolton results since Christmas 2004 and Sam Allardyce will be hoping that his side can pick up a favourable number of points in the remaining four games, of which three are at the Reebok Stadium.

The omens are pretty good for the Trotters as they have lost just once against Charlton since returning to the Premiership in 2001 and Saturday's encounter gives them a chance of recording their third double of the season.

FA Cup quarter finalists Charlton are in a patchy run of form themselves of late but their 2-1 success over struggling Portsmouth last weekend will give them confidence towards possibly becoming the third successive team to breach a once faultless Wanderers home record.

Bolton are able to welcome back defender Tal Ben-Haim following a one match suspension and there could also be a place for youngster Joey O'Brien after he shrugged off a recent thigh injury.

Striker El-Hadji Diouf will not be in the squad at all as he still struggles to overcome a hernia problem which has left him at the centre of some criticism by his manager.

Charlton will have to re-jig their back four as Hermann Hreidarsson (suspended) and American Jonathan Spector (shoulder) are definately ruled out for the trip to the North West.

Jonathan Fortune or Osei Sankofa could come into the side at the heart of the defence as a replacement for the on-loan Manchester United youngster Spector who will miss what is left of the season.

Darren Ambrose or Dennis Rommedahl could also figure in the starting line up at the expense of Jerome Thomas who picked up a knee injury during the last game against Pompey.

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)

29/10/2005 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 0 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Nolan)

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 8

Won: 5

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