THE next leg of our Grand Promotion Tour took us the short journey to SPORTSDIRECT.COM Park, which was known as Boundary Park, when we last played Oldham Athletic 20 years ago.

That was our penultimate away match in our promotion season, so the omens were good.

The lunchtime kick-off presented a culinary challenge, eventually solved by bacon baps and Lees’ bitter in the Rifle Range at 10am.

It was then a short walk to the ground, where they had given us the larger Rochdale Road end.

Evidently, we were only the second visitors to be accorded that honour, Sheffield United being the other.

The catering was well organised to keep the large Bolton following well fed and watered.

The Bolton fans were in good voice and confidence was high, despite receiving no further boost from the previous day’s results.

Phil Parkinson sprung a surprise by naming Derik Osede in midfield in preference to a second forward alongside Adam Le Fondre.

This seemed to work, especially in the first half as we played with confidence and were in control of the match.

Disappointingly we created few clear-cut chances and the finishing was woeful on the half-chances.

In the second half, we failed to capitalise on the Latics going down to 10 men after Michael Ngoo was sent off and eventually fell to a sucker punch when Oldham scored on the counter attack.

We hit the woodwork twice in a desperate late flurry but the quality and invention was not there.

Phil Parkinson has done fantastic to get his preferred team playing well and I would back us to beat most sides in the division. However, when we get injuries to key players, we need everyone to step up.

There is no need to hit panic button yet. We are still in control of our own destiny.

Four points ahead and a much superior goal difference over our rivals with three games to go is something no-one could have imagined 12 months ago.

We do not have to rely on other teams dropping points, and nobody will do anybody any favours. So while the job is not yet done I’m still backing us to get through the last three cup ties and secure the first phase of our rise from the ashes of last season.