Central Face Must Win Clash with Bolton Lads & Girls Club

Manchester Central will have to face the music on Saturday afternoon when they look to break their two-game losing streak against Bolton Lads & Girls Club.

Central fell short last weekend against Avenue, suffering a 3-0 defeat making it back-to-back defeats in Division One for the first time since before the winter break.

This weekend Central host what will be their final home league fixture until the final two games of the season and will look to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered to Bolton earlier on in February.

The hosts on Saturday are currently enduring a rut in form, having failed to score in their last two league fixtures. Central began the year with a return to form, winning their opening three fixtures, scoring 11 and conceding two in the process.

Performance levels have dropped drastically however in recent weeks, and Chris Tomkinson has failed to see his side maintain the standards they set at the beginning of 2023.

Bolton have started the year in spectacular fashion, and in their opening seven games they have won six, only dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Elton Vale. Last time out Bolton scored a crucial victory over Avro Reserves, who sit directly below them in the table extending the gap between the two sides to three points.

The visitors this weekend will look to close the gap on third placed side Elton Vale who sit five points clear of Bolton, albeit with two games in hand. Meanwhile Manchester Central despite their positive start to the year, have remained in eighth place in Division One, and recent results have seen them slip 13 points behind the promotion places.

The last meeting between these two sides saw Central face a physical side, who caused Central major problems, particularly down both channels. Ultimately, Central did not compete to the level they have shown they can, but a different attitude and better quality could see a completely different meeting.

Bolton were excellent defensively and kept a side who went into the game in hot scoring form quiet for long parts of the game. However, Central did improve in the latter stages of the second half without creating anything substantial.

Central do have more room to grow in this return fixture however and will need to find a way to get a result on Saturday.

Whether or not promotion is out of reach for Central can be left up for debate, but Tomkinson will have to gather his thoughts and get his side firing again ahead of a crucial end to February, in which they will face Chadderton Reserves in the final of the Manchester Challenge Trophy.

There is work to be done for Central, but a win on Saturday can turn their season back in the right direction, where they can look forward to fighting for silverware and continuing to push for progress in their league campaign.