Wanderers defender George Johnston believes Saturday’s trip to Forest Green is the perfect opportunity to prove that Tuesday night’s defeat at Cheltenham was just a bump in the road.

The Whites were well below their best at Whaddon Road, suffering a 1-0 defeat after Ryan Broom slotted home three minutes from time.

Ian Evatt’s men struggled at times in these types of fixtures last season, and Johnston is keen to bounce back at the weekend.

“We feel like our home form kind of takes care of itself,” he told The Bolton News.

“We enjoy playing here and we have shown that with the performances we have put in. If there was any downfall last season, it was the away performances.

“To get into the top six or top two, we need to pick up those points that we lost away from home last year. It is something that is definitely on our minds and something to improve ongoing forwards.

“The teams who sit behind the ball and play direct, stick it on us. I think we have shown this year that we can definitely compete with them – Wycombe, Peterborough. But we fell into the same habits as last season in those types of games.

“If we can move past that and show that we are capable of competing in those types of games and coming away from results, I think last night will be forgotten about.”

Wanderers failed to register a shot on target against the Robins, and Johnston admits their display was simply not good enough.

He added: “I think everyone knew that it wasn’t good enough and was disappointed with themselves more than anything.

“We knew that we let each other down individually and collectively. But today the lads were talking through the game in the changing rooms.

“We know where we need to put it right and going forward we have plans to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Saturday’s fixture is another potential banana skin for the Whites against a side who are desperate for points after a tough start.

But Johnston insists they have to find solutions to carve open opportunities in the final third and maintain their promising start to the campaign.

“Another away trip and it is a massive chance to prove that [Cheltenham] was a one off and we can go and do it. There is no better game really,” the defender explained.

“I have never played them before but I asked a few of the lads. They are a similar system, three at the back, but they might play out from the back a bit more [than Cheltenham].

“But with our press and how successful it has been this season, I don’t think teams like playing out against us too much, so it could be something similar.

“They could be strong behind the ball, get numbers behind the ball, so it will be similar patterns and similar solutions we are going to have to come up with.”