Wigan Athletic FC-Bolton Wanderers Preview

Mar 11, 2010 - 5:52 PM GEOFF McALLISTER STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Bolton defender Gretar Steinsson has told his team-mates not to panic after the heavy loss at Sunderland in midweek as they prepare for the derby match with Wigan on Saturday.

Bolton's 4-0 defeat by rampant Sunderland was a major setback after previous wins over Wolves and West Ham had lifted them away from the relegation zone.

But Icelandic international defender Steinsson believes the Sunderland result was something of a freak and unlikely to be repeated.

"To be fair to Sunderland they have some excellent players and when they are on song like they were against us they are hard to beat.

"We should have done better against them and 4-0 sounds like a hammering but we were on top for large parts of the game.

"Before we went to Sunderland we had two good wins and we showed that we can be a good team. I do not think there is anything seriously wrong with us.

"Now we have to prove that the Sunderland result was a one-off by beating Wigan. It is very tight at the bottom of the table and a couple of good results can lift you away from trouble.

"Wigan had a fantastic win in midweek over Liverpool so they will be full of confidence."

Bolton manager Own Coyle admitted Sunderland had deserved to win but not by a four-goal margin.

Coyle said: "I think we are playing well at the moment even allowing for losing 4-0 but at this stage of the season it is about results not performances. We need to beat Wigan, as simple as that."

Coyle has injury problems ahead of the clash at the Reebok Stadium with Gavin McCann requiring ankle surgery that could keep him out for the rest of the season and Fabrice Muamba struggling with a thigh injury.

At least Tamir Cohen is free from suspension while Vladimir Weiss may get a starting chance after arriving on loan from Manchester City.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez believes his team's shock 1-0 win over Liverpool at the DW Stadium can be the springboard to Premier League safety.

Martinez is tipping eight-goal Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega to become a key figure in the bid for survival.

Martinez said: "Hugo is an exciting talent but you don't beat Liverpool by any individual effort. You beat Liverpool with a complete team performance.

"It is great to see Hugo getting some rewards at last for getting into such good positions. It is easy to hide when things are not going well, but Hugo does not do that.

"Beating Liverpool was a massive result for us. It was a huge step forward but it will only be significant and valuable if we continue it against Bolton.

"We are four points clear of those teams in the relegation area and Bolton will have seen what we achieved against Liverpool. It is a little bit of a psychological blow for us."