AFC Bournemouth will have one foot in the Premier League if they can beat Bolton Wanderers at Dean Court tonight in front of the live Sky television cameras.
Victory will see Eddie Howe’s Cherries on the brink of a third promotion in six remarkable seasons.
A dramatic late defeat for Middlesbrough at Fulham on Saturday, coupled with Rotherham coming back to force a 1-1 draw with Norwich, means Cherries’ Premier League destiny is firmly in their hands.
Victory tonight – against an 18th placed Bolton side who have only won three of their last 18 league games – would take second-placed Cherries three points ahead of Boro – with a hugely superior goal difference over the Teessiders – and four clear of Norwich, with just one game remaining.
Watford’s 2-0 victory over Brighton in the lunchtime kick-off – and Boro's 4-3 reverse at Craven Cottage where Ross McCormack netted an injury-time winner – confirmed the Hornets’ promotion.
However, Howe was quick to play down the significance of the weekend results and said Cherries had to focus their full attention on facing Bolton.
Howe said: “I have maintained all along that results elsewhere do not interest me because there is nothing I can do to control them or any of the other teams.
“All we can do is concentrate and prepare for our game which promises to be a tough encounter against Bolton.
“Other results make no difference whatsoever because our aim is always to try to win every game.
“Bolton are a strong side and have a very good squad. They have a vastly-experienced manager in Neil Lennon who I have the upmost respect for.
“When you look back at the reverse fixture (a 2-1 win for ten-man Cherries in October), it was one of the highlights of our season.
“We were outstanding and secured a really important victory.
“We respect them and know we will need to be at our best because they have players that can hurt us.
“We are excited about playing on Monday.
The key thing is it is a night game and we do well under the lights at home.
It is a chance again for us to show everybody we are a good side and, hopefully, we can do that.”
Bolton will probably include both their veteran strikers tonight.
Eidur Gudjohnsen, 36, recently scored in a 3-0 win at Cardiff while ex-England striker Emile Heskey, 37, has also been a regular since signing from Australian club Newcastle Jets last December.
Six years ago last weekend, Cherries defeated Grimsby in a League 2 game at Dean Court to ensure they would avoid relegation to the non-league scene.
Since then, their transformation under Howe has been one of the most amazing stories in modern day football history.
Promoted from the fourth tier in 2009/10, Cherries went up from League 1 in 2012/13 – after Howe had returned from a spell at Burnley to mastermind an incredible recovery.
Now, the Dorset club are on the brink of the most sensational achievement in the club’s history.
Saints loanee Artur Boruc will again be in goal for the Cherries tonight, with ex-Saints pair Andrew Surman and Kenwyne Jones in the squad.
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