WANDERERS can rely on Lloyd Isgrove to supply the ammunition in the heat of the battle at Tranmere on Saturday.

Eoin Doyle believes his former Swindon Town team-mate is starting to find his feet at Bolton, and that the profitable partnership they shared in last season’s promotion campaign can thrive once again.

The Irishman found a late equaliser on Saturday after firing blanks for most of the afternoon against Cheltenham but is confident that with Isgrove’s help, he could be in double figures by the final whistle at Prenton Park.

“I should be in double figures already, considering the number of chances I missed,” Doyle told The Bolton News. “But hopefully that comes at Tranmere because it’s a really big game for us now.

“I know all about what Izzy brings and I think it helps. He knows the earlier he puts the ball in for the front lads, the better, and we know he has the talent to produce quality crosses into the box.”

Isgrove has started the last three games for Bolton and Doyle feels he is starting to have more of an influence on the team’s style of play.

“He carries the ball so well, and you can see how good his delivery is at times,” he said.

“He has that ability to beat a man and get the ball in the box. He’s huge for us.

“I think there is more to come from him as well. You can see when he gets the ball he wants to make something happen. You think when you walk past him he’s a little boy but when he gets on the pitch he just glides past people, so I think he’ll be a big player for us in the second half of the season, definitely.”

That second half begins with a revenge mission on Merseyside, with egos still bruised from last month’s 3-0 home defeat.

Keith Hill’s side beat promotion-chasing Forest Green 3-2 in midweek to climb into 11th, four points and six places above the Whites in the League Two table.

Doyle still feels sore from that defeat and believes it will give Wanderers an extra edge against their former manager.

“It was a tough day at the office, that’s for sure,” he said. “We just need to go and win that game. They came here and gave us a bit of a spanking, so hopefully we can do it to them.

“I think after the Cheltenham performance it is looking better for us. We do need to find some consistency in our performances, but I think we will start picking up more points now because we are looking stronger, especially away from home.

“Not having fans in the home stadium is a massive disadvantage to us. People come to a lovely empty stadium and it is their biggest game of the season. It’s no excuse for us because we should be turning up more often but it’s definitely a disadvantage.”

Wanderers have taken 57 per cent of their points away from home this season, a total bettered only by Harrogate (73) and Oldham Athletic (75) in the division.

Doyle believes a benchmark was set by the first half display against Cheltenham last weekend, which if matched should ensure Bolton start picking up points wherever they play.

“It’s about a consistency of performance,” he said. “I think that was the best we have played over a full 90 minutes because it happened from the first whistle.

“Usually, it takes us to concede a goal before we start turning it on but we were at it from the start and we just couldn’t find the goal.

“You play like that and more often than not we’ll get the goal and give ourselves something to build on.”