PHIL Parkinson is working on the assumption Wanderers’ lead over their promotion rivals will be cut to one point this afternoon.

Though the Whites’ destiny remains in their own hands, their grip on second spot loosened slightly with a 1-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

Fleetwood and Bradford continue their chase today against Millwall and newly-crowned League One champions Sheffield United, respectively.

And Parkinson is looking at a worst case scenario as he prepared to welcome local rivals Bury – themselves fighting against relegation – to the Macron tomorrow.

“I’m working on the basis that both teams (Fleetwood and Bradford) are going to win,” he told The Bolton News. “Whatever happens Monday we know we can only go into Tuesday in second place and no worse than a point ahead of the other teams.

“It’s down to us. We go up still if we win two more games.”

Parkinson confirmed striker Gary Madine was “unlikely” to face the Shakers tomorrow but that he could welcome back defender Andy Taylor after a calf injury.

Confidence dented after defeat against 10 men at Boundary Park, the Wanderers boss admits his players were disappointed to send 4,300 travelling fans back home without a point.

“It was great support and we’re really hurting for them,” he said. “But people have been talking about promotion and that we’re going to do this and that… I knew all along there was going to be hard work.

“We’ve had some injuries to key players but I think we’ve still got enough quality out there to do this.

“We need to digest this result quickly and bounce back straight away against Bury.”

Wanderers put just one of their 13 shots at goal on target at Oldham and Parkinson is looking for an immediate improvement at the Macron.

“We have got to concentrate on playing as well as we can and showing that ruthless edge around the box,” he said. “We have to work hard to hit the target, to shoot low, to make keepers work. If we do that and put the finishing touches to the good work we did, we’ll do OK.”