LIAM Feeney is defiantly still gunning for the play-off places with Wanderers.

Defeat to Watford at the Macron Stadium on Saturday means the gap to the top six is now 16 points, with Neil Lennon’s men slipping to 15th place in the Championship table over the weekend.

The manager had spoken before Saturday’s clash with the Hornets about needing to avoid any more slip-ups to have an outside chance of a top-six berth.

That may now seem unlikely with just 15 games to go this campaign. But Feeney is staying positive and while he admits it will take a special run between now and the end of the season for Wanderers to bridge the gap to the promotion challengers, he believes they have the squad capable of doing it – particularly when they get key players back from injury.

The in-form wide man told The Bolton News: “It will take something special from us (to make play-offs) but it can happen.

“There are often teams that come late. You never know in this league how it is going to pan out. You can’t say who is going to win week to week.

“We could easily go 15 games unbeaten and who knows where that may take us? There are 45 points still to play for.”

Lennon has always eyed a charge to the play-offs this season but a dip in results in recent weeks has lengthened the odds on the Whites advancing into the promotion pack.

Since winning at Sheffield Wednesday a month ago, Wanderers have taken just four points from a possible 15 available in five league outings. But a succession of injuries have not aided their cause.

The boss is hoping he will have the experienced trio of Matt Mills, Emile Heskey and Craig Davies back in contention for Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest. And Feeney says getting key men back in the fold can see the Whites return to the good form they showed prior to Christmas.

He added: “We have been quite consistent since the new manager has been here. We tend to get more positive results than negative.

“If we can kick on and get some bodies back to go with the new boys who are settling well, we have a chance.

“Our aim is to improve every week, churn out wins and see where it gets us.”