Lancs hotpot eclipses El Clasico

Derby rivalries with Wigan Athletic may not be as traditional as Blackburn Rovers, Bury or even Preston North End for Wanderers fans, nor is the dislike quite as intense or emotional as that directed towards Manchester United, for example, but in the last decade the Latics clash has definitely grown in its importance in this neck of the woods.

Since the first meeting just 32 years ago at Springfield Park – settled by a solitary Jeff Chandler goal – there have only been 44 games between the two clubs, with Wanderers holding a narrow winning edge by 17 to 16.

Few games have mattered more, at least to the Latics, than the one this afternoon.

Victory for Malky Mackay’s side would be a giant leap towards safety, while defeat could be catastrophic.

Neil Lennon hopes that local rivalry can fuel his players, as it will undoubtedly do the fans, to get themselves a victory which would surely guarantee Championship football next season.

By the Northern Irishman’s own admission defeat would not be a disaster but it would be enough to send the club into the international break in an awkward position, unable to start planning for the future.

Lennon knows a thing or two about derbies, having become quite good at them north of the border in his time at Celtic. He also had an unbeaten record as Bolton boss in North West encounters before Jordan Rhodes popped up with a winner at Ewood Park a couple of weeks ago.

You sense he is desperate to begin planning for the summer – and that is why he’ll be drumming into his team the importance of bringing three points back over the hill this afternoon.

“This is a big game for Wigan but it’s a big game for us too,” he told The Bolton News. “Not only for the fans – but of course we want to make sure they’ve got something to shout about – but a win would ease a few of my worries too.

“If we lose we’ve got a seven-point cushion on them, which is nice, but that’s not a scenario I’m entertaining at all.

“Get a result and I’m more or less saying it’s job done, now let’s look at where we’re going in the future.”

Lennon has already beaten Wigan twice this season, inspired on both occasions by young debutants.

Max Clayton made his first Bolton start in the 3-1 league win back in November, while Zach Clough exploded on to the scene in the 1-0 win at the Macron in January.

Lennon reckons Wigan are a tougher prospect now, albeit one that still cannot win at home.

“Both teams have changed a bit since the last time we played each other,” he said. “Malky Mackay has tried to put his own stamp on things. Their away form has been excellent – total opposite of us. Their home form for some reason hasn't been great.

“They are still hanging in there. We have our own agenda and that's to win the game and get as far away from the bottom three as we can.

“Then use the remaining five or six games for re-building.”

Wigan have not won at home since the end of August, while Wanderers have lost six on the spin away from home. On paper, a draw looks a safe bet.

But Lennon has seen enough in the last few games to suggest his team can emerge from their slump on the road.

“I have not been too disappointed with performances away from, particularly the last three games,” he said. “There was the heavy month where we lost at Rotherham, Derby and Forest. That disappointed me.

“But recent performances have been good even though results haven't. If we play like we did at Ipswich we will have a good chance.

“We really deserved to get something out of the game but I can't keep saying that – I’m getting sick of saying that.”

With an international break looming, the last thing Lennon wants to be analysing over the next fortnight is the Championship table.

“One win and we can go away happy, start to look forwards,” he said. “We’ve got an idea of what we want to do at the club and I can’t wait to get started but until we can look at the table and say ‘we’ll be in the Championship next season’ it’s very difficult to do anything about it.”