Allo allo! It's the penultimate weekend of the season and the lunchtime kickoff today takes place at the Macron Stadium as rockbottom Bolton look to finish their dismal campaign on a high at home against a Hull side safe in the playoffs. Team news on the way...
BOLTON XI: Amos, Holding, Wheater, Derik, Garratt, Davies, Danns, Pratley, Vela, Heskey, Clough
Subs: Rachubka, Moxey, Dobbie, Wilson, Woolery, Walker, Newell
HULL XI: Jakupovic, Lenihan, Dawson, Maguire, Clucas, Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Hayden, Snodgrass, Maloney, Akpom
Subs: McGregor, Bruce, Taylor, Davies, Livermore, Diamé, Aluko
Starting with the home side, it's two changes from
Jimmy Phillips as Tyler Garratt replace Oscar Threkeld and Niall Maher.
As for Hull, it's six changes from
Steve Bruce from their 2-0 win over Brentford on Tuesday night. Eldin Jakupovic, Harry Maguire, Ahmed Elmohamady, Isaac Hayden and Sam Clucas are the only ones to keep their place. Brian Lenihan is one of those to come in and he makes his Tigers debut today.
Okey dokey,
click here to see how it all looks in the Championship with two weekends of the regular season to go. Bolton will finish bottom and they are now 19 points behind the nearest team outside the bottom three. Hull sit fourth and were seven behind the trio fighting for two automatic spots – Boro, Burnley and Brighton.
Boro are now clear at the top on their own after
drawing with Birmingham last night. Aitor Karanka was not a happy bunny given that his side had a fair goal chalked off, but the way Boro have been winning some games recently maybe their luck has run out at just the wrong time! Still, Boro play Brighton on the final day next week and know that victory will send them up.
Errrr, surely this will change today?
Although there is no danger of Hull dropping out of the playoffs, any slip-up in their last two matches of the season could open the door for Derby County to go above them and up to fourth. Win today and they will all but secure that fourth spot which would guarantee the second leg of the playoff semi-final being at home. Sheffield Wednesday, in sixth, are unlikely to catch the Rams, so it's almost nailed-on to be Hull-Derby as one of the semis.
PREDICTION: Bolton are on the second-longest winless run in English league football having gone 14 without a maximum and it's hard to see that changing here. Hull will want to wrap up fourth today so they can take it easy next week and I'll back the Tigers to win 2-0.
Phillips has been forced into a late change after Vela picked up an injury in the warm-up. Lawrie Wilson comes in at right-back.
STAT: Hull have had more (215) and faced fewer (140) shots on target than any other side in the Championship. Best of luck to Bolton!
KICKOFF! It's a bright spring day in Lancashire as the hosts get us underway.
It's Hull who are first to threaten as debutant Lenihan floats a cross to the back post that Wilson does well to head away with Snodgrass charging in behind him.
Almost an awful moment for Hull keeper Amos as he comes out to claim Huddlestone's ball over the top but slips and almost loses sight of the ball in the sun! He manages to readjust and make the catch, but it looked dodgy for a moment there!
Unsurprisingly, Hull are seeing plenty of the ball early on here. Yet to really create anything, though.
Very little happening on the pitch, so here's some stats to read:
Little break in play here as Bolton youngster Clough stays down after a full-blooded challenge. Looks like he will be OK to carry on.
CHANCE! First real moment of note as Elmohamady digs out a cross from the right that looks perfect for Akpom, but his header hits Holding and loops over the top.
CHANCE! Even better chance for the away side as Akpom beats the offside trap to go clear. He could shoot, but instead looks for the supporting Elmohamady and plays it too far in front of the Egyptian, who looked up hopefully after falling under the challenge of Garratt, but that was never a penalty.
CHANCE! Akpom again! This time it's Hayden with the inch-perfect cross from the right, but the Arsenal loanee misses with his head and the ball hits his back to drift wide. Bad miss that.
SAVE! Out of nowhere, Bolton have the two best chances so far! Davies goes on a great run down the right and cuts back for Pratley, whose initial shot is saved by Jakupovic. The ball drops kindly for Clough, but Lenihan makes a crucial block. Danns then had a go from the edge of the area, but he dragged it wide.
So we had quarter of an hour of nothing, but that last few minutes was exciting. Hull had more of the chances, but Bolton's were the best ones.
CLOSE! I promise I'm not watching the same chance on repeat, but Akpom has just missed another header from a right-wing cross. Elmohamady swings it over and this is the easiest of the lot for the striker. He makes better contact than the other two but the ball still drifts about a yard wide. Have to at least hit the target there.
He may be old, but Heskey still cares! He just overran the ball slightly but won it back by stretching to beat Snodgrass to the ball. His studs were showing a little, but no malice there and he was fuming when the referee's whistle went. No card, though.
Snodgrass involved again here as he and Wilson have a bit of handbags on the touchline.
Graham Scott halts the play and gives both men a talking to, but again no yellow card.
BOOKING! The yellow card's out this time as Davies catches Maloney late. Theatrical fall from the Scot, but studs were showing there.
Bolton steal the ball and start a counter-attack with Davies. He feeds Clough and although the forward's pass is cut out, it deflects kindly for Heskey, but his shot from 20 yards is weak.
Pratley screams at the linesman for a free kick on the edge of the box, but there did not appear to be much contact and it looked like he dived a little. The referee just waves play on.
Good few minutes for Bolton here. Wilson just has loads of time and space to pick out a man in the middle and although Pratley got up to meet the right-back's cross he was always under it and could only head high and wide.
Well, this is just inconsistent refereeing. Maguire slides in from behind on Heskey and although he got the ball, Heskey himself was penalised for a lunge not as bad as that a few moments ago so he's rightly annoyed.
The Bolton bench aren't happy with that tackle either. Peter Reid is part of the Trotters' backroom staff and he's just giving the fourth official a right earful about it.
It's all calmed down a bit the last few minutes as half time approaches. Both sides have had good chances to score, but still it's goalless at the Macron.
OFF THE BAR! Just after two minutes of added time are signalled, Snodgrass curls a 30-yard free kick up and over the wall but not quite low enough as it glances the crossbar on its way over. Great effort.
HALF-TIME: BOLTON 0-0 HULL
As you were at the break then after what has been a more even half than you would have expected. Akpom has spurned the best chances for Hull, while Pratley and Clough went close for the Trotters. Back soon for the second half!
KICKOFF! Back underway at the Macron then. No changes from either side at the break.
Hull come into this match on a five-game unbeaten run and they've score twice in each of those games. Need to be more clinical in the second half if they are to keep up that run.
SAVE! Snodgrass went close just before the break and he's almost scored a peach here with a dinked effort that Amos manages to tip over just before it dropped in.
CHANCE! Oh, what a chance for Bolton. Clough cuts in from the left and reverses the ball into Danns, who was being played onside by Clucas. Jakupovic dashes out and makes a fine save.
OFF THE LINE! How's that not gone in?! The resulting corner is inadvertently flicked towards his own goal by Dawson. It beats Jakupovic and you're waiting for the net to bulge, but Lenihan somehow clears it off the line. Replays show that it was about a millimetre from going over the line but did not fully cross. What a call!
OFF THE LINE! Now it's Hull's turn to feel aggrieved. Dawson flicks on at the near post and a combination of Garratt and Davies manage to prevent a goal at the back stick.
BOLTON SUB: First change of the match as Dobbie takes Clough's place for the home side.
Huddlestone tries his luck from about 20 yards but it's a tame effort and easy for Amos.
OFF THE BAR! Unlucky! Elmohamady does well down the right to produce a low cross, Maloney leaves it and there's Akpom to slam at goal. It's too strong for Amos but crashes back off the underside of the crossbar.
BOLTON SUB: Another change for the Trotters as Newell replaces Heskey.
GOAL! BOLTON 1-0 HULL (STEPHEN DOBBIE)
Hello! Lowly Bolton lead against promotion hopefuls Hull as Dobbie sweeps home at the back post after some patient, but good build-up down the right form Danns and Wilson.
BOOKING! First Hull player booked is Clucas for a rash tackle.
Half-chance for Hull as Snodgrass peels away to the back post to meet Elmohamady's centre, but the Scot can't keep his header down.
HULL SUBS: Bruce makes two changes – Akpom and Maloney off, Diame and Aluko on.
Doesn't look like Hull are going to get back into this. They've not done a lot since falling behind and you have to give credit to Bolton for the spirit they've shown today. Davies shoots straight at Jakupovic as the hosts eye a second.
BOOKING! Huddlestone with a cynical foul and Scott brandishes yellow again.
It opens up for Aluko about 20 yards out, but he slices across the ball and Amos can easily watch it wide. Just 10 more minutes to go here.
HULL SUB: Third and final change from Bruce as Ryan Taylor replaces Huddlestone.
Bolton are just defending so well at the moment. Every tackle is perfectly timed and Hull don't seem to have any answer.
Four minutes added on. Can the Trotters hold on?
Corner...
CLOSE! Shocking from Amos as he comes to claim but misses the ball and somehow it drops wide.
FULL-TIME: BOLTON 1-0 HULL
Well, well. Who saw that coming?! Bolton keep a clean sheet, end their 14-match winless run and inflict a first defeat in six on Hull.
Bolton are still going to finish bottom, but they can be proud of today's performance against a side who could well be in the Premier League next season. For Hull, they host Rotherham next week and will still be confident of securing that fourth spot and guaranteeing a home second leg in the playoffs. Thanks for joining SM today and why don't you head back to the homepage for loads of live Premier League action. OK? Ta.