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Neil Lennon baffled by Bolton Wanderers' contrasting home and away fortunes

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karlypants

karlypants
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Neil Lennon wants Wanderers to end their away hoodoo at Ipswich Town tonight and end a dismal run on the road.

The Whites won for the eighth time in 13 matches on home soil under Lennon on Saturday when an Adam Le Fondre brace sealed a 2-0 triumph over managerless Millwall.

But the contrast on their travels has been stark with just three away wins since the Northern Irishman took the reins in October.

The last of those came at Sheffield Wednesday exactly two months ago.

Since that 2-1 victory, the Whites have registered five successive Championship defeats away from the Macron Stadium.

It is form that concerns Lennon who is at a loss to explain the difference between home and away results.

He told The Bolton News: “I am really pleased with home form but I need to find a way to replicate that away from home.

"Once we do that as a group who knows where it will take us. But the home form has been fantastic.

“Since we have come in, it is on a par with Middlesbrough.

“That is something to work on. It was another win and a clean sheet.”

The gap between the home and away form has widened since the turn of the year.

Under Lennon, Wanderers have played 13 home league matches and lost just once – a last-gasp defeat to Watford last month.

Away from home, however, they have lost eight and drawn two of the same amount of Championship fixtures.

The current form tables show that on home soil in the last eight outings, Wanderers have gleaned 15 points – just six fewer than in-form Middlesbrough – and sit seventh in the table.

Only Boro and fellow promotion chasers Watford, Derby and Norwich have won more at home in that period and Lennon’s side have won as many home games as league leaders Bournemouth in the last eight.

Away, though, they are fourth bottom on form in the last eight, winning two and losing six.

Only Fulham and rock-bottom Blackpool have won fewer on the road with Wanderers picking up just six points from the last 24.

The Whites have 44 points this campaign and 75 per cent of those have come at the Macron Stadium – the highest percentage in the whole division, while 71 per cent of their 44 goals have been seen by the home faithful.

They have secured an average of 1.74 points at home – higher than the league average of 1.55.

In Lennon’s 13 home league matches, only one team has stopped his side finding the net and that was tonight’s opponents Ipswich in a goalless draw back in December.

And as the team heads to Suffolk looking for a first win in a decade at Portman Road, the manager hopes they can end their bad run.

He added: “I thought we were almost there, nearly getting a point at Blackburn.

“We have won three away but some of our performances have been flat and I don't know why.

“It could be a psychological thing more than a physical thing.

“Ipswich is a daunting prospect especially after the weekend’s result.

“I thought 4-1 flattered Middlesbrough. Ipswich played well for long periods of the game.

"And in Mick McCarthy I think they have one of the best managers in the Championship so it’s another tough one for us but we have to be positive and try and transfer that home form.”

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