Brentford host Bolton Wanderers at Griffin Park on Saturday afternoon knowing that only three points will do if they want to secure a playoff position at the end of the season.

Bolton head into the fixture with one of the worst away records in the division, but manager Neil Lennon will be keen to see his team end the season on a positive note.

Brentford

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At one stage this season, Brentford look certainties for the top six but the furore that surrounded the board's decision to part ways with Mark Warburton in the summer did little good for a campaign that could be decided by the smallest of margins.

The Bees recovered to ensure that, until recently, they remained in a playoff spot but a run of just one victory in five games has left the London-based club realistically needing a minimum of seven points from their final three fixtures.

A return of six points from five contests probably doesn't do their performances justice. Brentford showed tremendous fighting spirit to come back from 2-0 down to draw with both Millwall and Nottingham Forest, while an impressive display away at Derby County was undone by a last-gasp goal by the Rams.

However, they only had themselves to blame when falling to a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek, and it's a result that has left them with it all to do in the closing weeks of the season.

Warburton will back his side to produce a response against Bolton, but he knows that they must make a faster start than they have been doing in recent games. Throughout the campaign, they have rarely scored in the opening 20 minutes, but that's something that could make all the difference in their remaining outings.

They end the season with matches against Reading and Wigan Athletic, which will be considered as a great chance to register maximum points, but first they need to put themselves back into the mix to put pressure on their rivals.

Recent form: WDWDDL

Bolton Wanderers

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After a disappointing start, Bolton Wanderers have stabilised under the guidance of Neil Lennon, but the former Celtic boss won't be settling for Championship safety until the season has come to a conclusion.

Lennon has returned 13 wins from 35 games since he arrived at the club, but he won't be pleased with two wins in nine games, a run that has seen the Trotters fall into the bottom third of the standings.

Like Brentford, many of their results are being decided in the final 15 minutes of games. Since the start of March, Bolton have dropped as many as seven points from late goals from the opposition, slip-ups that have cost the club five places in the table.

On a positive note, Bolton have earned draws at home to both Blackpool and Charlton Athletic with late efforts, but they are games that Lennon would have been aiming to control, rather than scrapping for points in the final quarter.

The signing of Eidur Gudjohnsen has proven to be a masterstroke by the Northern Irishman. The 36-year-old may have added just six goals in 21 games in all competitions but his experience has been key to the club retaining its status as a Championship team.

However, it remains unclear whether he will remain at the Macron Stadium next season, and Lennon will be using his final three games to try to identify the players who can help the club progress in the long term.

Recent form: LDDWLD

Team News

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Striker Emile Heskey could return to the starting lineup after dropping to the substitutes' bench in midweek.

Lennon revealed at his pre-match press conference that the veteran wasn't 100% after the weekend, but he had recovered enough to be in contention to start on Saturday.

Midfielder Mark Davies is likely to remain on the bench after making his first appearance since recovering from a serious knee injury.

Warburton is likely to restrict changes to his Brentford side, but Jon Toral is a possible starter in midfield in place of Stuart Dallas.

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Button, Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Douglas, Diagouraga, Peleteiro Ramallo, Judge, Toral, Gray

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Bogdan, Vela, Mills, Dervite, Ream, Bannan, Danns, Feeney, Costa Rocha, Heskey, Le Fondre

Head To Head

The reverse fixture earlier this season marked the first time that the two clubs had faced each other in a competitive fixture for 67 years.

On that occasion, Bolton secured a 3-1 victory at the Macron Stadium thanks to second-half goals from Neil Danns, Mark Davies and Craig Davies.

Overall, the two clubs have recorded three wins apiece from 11 matches, but Brentford have won just one of their last nine contests.

We say: Brentford 3-1 Bolton Wanderers

Despite their indifferent form, Bolton generally don't concede too many goals on the road, but that could change on Saturday afternoon. Brentford head into the match knowing that only three points will do and that is likely to encourage a forward-thinking display from the home side.

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