Steven Schumacher has reminded his Bolton Wanderers side of their aims towards promotion as they face Doncaster Rovers in midweek.
The Trotters came unstuck against Grant McCann’s side’s direct rivals in Rotherham United at the weekend, on a day they could have taken a vital step towards securing third following Bradford City‘s loss away to Wigan Athletic.
Schumacher Guards Against Complacency
With Wanderers in a fairly comfortable position to secure a second leg home fixture in the play-offs, it could be viewed that Schumacher’s side have taken their foot off of the gas slightly with draws to struggling teams like Rotherham, Blackpool and their visitors tomorrow night since the start of 2026.
Bolton hold an eight-point advantage over fifth-placed Stevenage, who have a game in hand, but heading into their clash against Doncaster, the former Plymouth Argyle boss reminded his squad of the task in hand when speaking to the club website.
“There’s nine games to go and every point is going to be crucial, so we want to make sure that we focus and get after the game as best as we can in every single one.
“We know we’re coming up against an opponent who are fighting for their lives, similar to what Rotherham were on Saturday, and they’re also coming here in decent form.
“They’ve had a good result against Luton Town mid-week last week and one at the weekend against Blackpool, so they’ll come here with a bit of momentum and I’m sure Grant (McCann) will have them motivated to try and do a job.”
Securing Third-Placed Finish Crucial
With the number of games left in the rest of the season now into single digits, Bolton Wanderers have put themselves in the best possible scenario to secure promotion.
While the automatic spots have got away from the Trotters, they will certainly fancy themselves as favourites to triumph at Wembley amid their 12-game unbeaten run, with their direct rivals for the playoffs all in tough patches of form right now.
On paper, getting that third-placed spot will guarantee them an easier fixture and a second-leg home advantage, but with the quality of the sides battling for fifth and sixth, it will still be a tough ask to get over the line in a semi-final.
For now, Bolton will need to approach every single game as it comes, starting with Doncaster Rovers, a side they struggled to overcome on New Year’s Day.
Corey Blackett-Taylor will miss this contest, but with some key returns in Eoin Toal and John McAtee on the horizon, they should be at near-full strength to try and redeem the issues they faced against Rotherham.