by Emma Norris HAVING made the trip up to the North East fearing the worst given Newcastle’s form, I genuinely left incredibly disappointed we hadn’t managed to secure a result.

Following the Fulham game that left a lot to be desired, the team gave their all for the most part and were ultimately undone because they did not take their chances. Prior to Hatem Ben Arfa’s goal, it could have so easily been a different story had they managed to convert a number of gilt-edged opportunities. Sadly, that has been the story of our season.

Not many sides have gone to Tyneside this year and been the better side, and that is something that the Whites must take solace from as the campaign enters its final few crucial weeks.

Nobody will have expected us to perform as well as we did, but the determination and passion shown by the players will not have gone unnoticed.

The team selection raised eyebrows among the travelling fans with Kevin Davies being recalled, but he put in arguably his best performance of the season to silence his critics.

Many have recently questioned whether Davies’s time should come to an end, but he proved a thorn in Newcastle’s side throughout and deserves a lot of credit.

The big Yorkshireman personifies Bolton Wanderers. He always gives his all and ruffles feathers in the process.

It was a brave move to drop David Ngog and play Davies as the lone striker, but it was a decision that was definitely vindicated by his performance and on another day it could have been a different result.

Looking ahead, the Whites must take advantage of the weekend break and recharge their batteries for a crucial clash with Swansea. We may have passed up on the opportunity to pull ourselves away from the mire, but since when did we do anything the easy way?

It’s certainly going to be a close call, but if we can reproduce what we did against Newcastle from now until the end of the season, I firmly believe we will survive.