WITH a week until THAT match, a positive result against Bolton Wanderers was a must.

And, despite an opening 30 minutes best described as slow, we didn’t disappoint.

Sean Dyche described us afterwards as starting to click into gear and it might just be the case.

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Bolton, to their credit, looked a useful outfit in the opening exchanges, moving the ball much better than we did and pressing high up the pitch.

But once Jay Spearing went off injured, the whole complex of the game seemed to change.

The end of the first half brought about a couple of chances, Andre Gray and Scott Arfield going close after some neat interplay in and around the Wanderers penalty area.

The second half brought about another period of possession for the visitors but, missing the energy and purpose of Spearing, they faded quickly and we started to take control.

Gray grabbed his first from close range after the visitor’s keeper Ben Amos made two fine saves and was left exposed by a Bolton defence which has struggled all season.

His second was a thing of beauty, the striker lashing home from inside the box after Scott Arfield had nicked the ball in his own half and drove forward before slipping him through.

It was no less than we deserved and save for a Tendayi Darikwa header off the line, Neil Lennon’s side rarely threatened.

We’ve a big week coming up with the trip to Ewood Park next Saturday but first we have an away game at Nottingham Forest tomorrow night.

Forest have been a bit hit and miss this season but they’re a more than useful outfit.

That said, we shouldn’t fear anyone and if we can grab at least a point it would set us up just nicely for the Rovers game.

I don’t want to make any predictions about the weekend’s game because in local derbies anything can happen.

They’re not in the best of form and suffered a disappointing defeat away at MK Dons on Saturday, which leaves them three points above the bottom three, but we shouldn’t think we can go down the M65 and roll them over...

No matter how hopeful I am!