Bolton 1-2 Exeter

Happy times are around the corner again, win this and we are promoted!

I reckon we will do the business and win 2-0 for a change. Sarcevic has to start this game which means leaving Thomason on the bench but i have no doubt he will be a big player for us in the next few years.

Its just nice to be talking about promotion after what we've all been through in the last few years, i'm hoping this is just the start of us climbing back up the leagues like under Rioch.

COYWM!

I hope you haven't just jinxed it Norpig.

We'll batter them for 90 minutes with our sideways passing, miss at least two open goals, and then lose to a last minute goal when Exeter have their only shot on target.

Norpig you bellend, why have you started two match threads for Exeter?

Natasha Whittam wrote:Norpig you bellend, why have you started two match threads for Exeter?

You've answered your own question there Nat, i am a bellend 

To be fair i thought the first one hadn't gone through so i re-did it

Norpig wrote:You've answered your own question there Nat, i am a bellend 

To be fair i thought the first one hadn't gone through so i re-did it

Thank fook you're not in charge of competitions....oh!

Norpig, you stuck the first one in Wandering Minds so that will explain it!

karlypants wrote:Norpig, you stuck the first one in Wandering Minds so that will explain it!

Classic bellend behaviour 

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Thank fook you're not in charge of competitions....oh!

Its yours next season if you want it back Nat, just say the word.

karlypants wrote:I hope you haven't just jinxed it Norpig.

Me too.
If they beat Grimsby in their game in hand tonight they'll be in the playoffs on GD depending on Salford's result - an impressive +19 so far (3rd highest in the division) - and regardless will be throwing the kitchen sink at us.
They had a storming spell in the middle of the season but a string of draws has seen them slip recently, but now it's the business end of the season and they'll be totally up for it and battling for the playoffs.
Matt Jay is a fantastic striker and Ryan Bowman scores plenty too so they have a lethal strike force, but playing 3412 as they do means we should get some space round the sides - so this game could well come down to who dominates the midfield and takes their chances and that's a worry for us.
My other concern is that the lads are so chuffed with nicking the win at Morecambe they'll not be fired up enough to complete the job whereas it's do or die for Exeter and it's only just over two weeks since they battered Cambridge 4 - 1 in Cambridge so they undoubtedly have a team that could turn us over too.

Really hoping we can sneak it but I have an uncomfortable feeling that we might well be going into the final day needing a win away at Crawley - who we have never beaten in our entire history.

Come on Lusty lets think positively! Exeter have drawn their last 3 games and lost the one before that so they aren't in great form. I reckon Grimsby will turn them over as they are still battling at the bottom.

As for Crawley how many times have we actually played them ever? Once or twice? 

Norpig wrote:As for Crawley how many times have we actually played them ever? Once or twice? 

Correct

28 Aug 2012 Crawley Town v Bolton Wanderers W 2-1 League Cup
02 Jan 2021 Bolton Wanderers v Crawley Town W 0-1 League Two

Norpig wrote:Come on Lusty lets think positively! Exeter have drawn their last 3 games and lost the one before that so they aren't in great form. I reckon Grimsby will turn them over as they are still battling at the bottom.

As for Crawley how many times have we actually played them ever? Once or twice? 

Perhaps I should have rephrased it....

"....against Crawley who have beaten us every time we've played them"  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

As for Exeter, they are a seriously good team in this league but they blow hot and cold - but tend to do better against the top teams for some reason. They beat Tranmere 5 - 0 FFS.

Anyhoo we need to win on Saturday, good, bad or ugly.

From the Exeter fans forum:

"Anything less than a win then surely those saloon doors will swing open on our season Saturday.

Bowman and Fisher up top together, Hartridge on long throws let’s just get the ball up around the ears of the Bolton backline and go for it, no more tame short corners and quickly taken free kicks just get the ball into the box and try and make something happen...we are not going to beat a team like them by trying to play pretty football on a day when they’ll be hoping to clinch promotion themselves."

I think they're shitting themselves.

wanderlust wrote:

Bowman and Fisher up top together, Hartridge on long throws let’s just get the ball up around the ears of the Bolton backline and go for it, no more tame short corners and quickly taken free kicks just get the ball into the box and try and make something happen...we are not going to beat a team like them by trying to play pretty football on a day when they’ll be hoping to clinch promotion themselves."

I think they're shitting themselves.

Sounds like every other teams tactics in league 2 and we've coped with it very well (apart from Grimsby). Santos and Baps are the best CB pairing in the division and will head balls away all day if needed.

I think it's more a measure of their desperation to win. Just hope we match them for passion.

It's going to be a gut clenching afternoon.

With both teams needing to win, it should be a good open game with plenty of chances for both. Unless we start taking some of those chances though, which we haven’t been able to do so far, we could be undone but with Sarce back and Lee alongside MJ again, we should have a much firmer defence. Doyle must want to hit the 20 mark, so we should expect him to deliver but then I thought that against Morecambe and he was awful. Dapo is surely due a goal and I wouldn’t bet against Sarce to hit the winning goal but either way, I expect it to be another nerve tingles with both teams trying to the end. I think we’ll do it so I’ll go for 2-1 to Wanderers.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us start very slowly, (although I hope I'm wrong), as that seems to be the way nowadays. They've probably tried to approach the game in cool, calm, and calculated manner, which isn't a bad thing, but there again Exeter may well open the game by going for it, and we don't always seem to be able to change too quickly.

Norpig wrote:
Sounds like every other teams tactics in league 2 and we've coped with it very well (apart from Grimsby). Santos and Baps are the best CB pairing in the division and will head balls away all day if needed.

Yup but that's a fan's suggestion rather than necessarily being what they'll try.
Exeter are usually a footballing team who try to keep possession like us so midfield dominance will be crucial. As Whitesince alludes, it could come down to us taking our chances for a change.