Sport

Keep Wolves from the door: Bolton Wanderers boss Dougie Freedman wants clean sheets for play-off bid

By Sam Ruffe

Dougie Freedman insists clean sheets are key to Bolton Wanderers’ late surge for a play-off spot as Wolves visit the Reebok.

The Whites welcome the Midlanders as they search for their seventh successive victory on home soil – a run stretching back to Millwall’s visit on January 12.

And having shut-out their past four opponents at home, Freedman has called for more of the same as they continue their play-off push.

“The first and foremost thing that I would like to do is stop goals going in and I think we are starting to do that,” he said.

“Yes we would like to go on and win 2-0, 3-0 and I think that is coming.

“The qualities that we are showing is down to a lot of hard work on the training ground, and we are becoming a very tough team to beat.”

Bolton midfielder Keith Andrews and defender Tyrone Mears are both doubts with an Achilles injury and a blood infection respectively.

David Wheater will also miss out as he continues the long recovery to full fitness while Sam Ricketts and Craig Davies both return having each served a one-match suspension.

Dean Saunders’ side are facing a second successive relegation, but Freedman highlighted his side’s hard work off the ball as a potential advantage.

“People look at performance in terms of what you do with the ball but you can also control the game out of possession and I think we do that very well,” said the Scot.

“That is what you call defending and it is a performance act on its own and I think you’re seeing that that under my leadership.

“Because we are working within a structure that allows us then to go on an attack in the right way and create opportunities.”

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