Owen Coyle has urged his Bolton players to build on their win over Aston Villa and perform to the same standard for the rest of the season.
Bolton boss expecting tough game against Sunderland
Owen Coyle has urged his Bolton players to build on Tuesday's victory over Aston Villa and perform to the same standard for the rest of the season.
The Trotters remain in the relegation zone but are now just a point from safety and still have a game in hand on all their fellow strugglers.
With Wolves already down, there are five clubs battling to avoid the other two spots in the drop zone after Villa were dragged into the scrap.
Queens Park Rangers, Wigan and Blackburn have all shown their fighting spirit at different times in recent weeks and Coyle admits it is an exciting competition.
He does not want to focus on other teams, though, and hopes Bolton can push on from their 2-1 midweek win at Villa when they face Sunderland on Saturday.
"Aston Villa are three points above us and we have a game in hand so that tells its own story that they are obviously caught up in it as well," Coyle said on
Sky Sports News.
"That is the nature of this league and how quickly it can change.
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"For our part, we will continue to try and keep picking up points.
"We have to accept that there have been some huge results from other teams in the league that were not expected against the elite clubs, but that shows why we are in the best league in the world."
Sunderland are sitting comfortably in mid-table and it has been suggested that it might not be a bad time to be travelling to the Stadium of Light, but Coyle is not expecting an easy match.
"I think anybody that knows Martin O'Neill, being a wonderful manager and a fantastic man, knows how driven he is to win football games, so Sunderland at home is always a tough game," he explained.
"We have to go and play at the same intensity. If we can get to that level, regardless of who we are playing, we have shown we can pick up points and that is our aim for Saturday."
Coyle added: "What we have got to do is continue playing in the manner that we have been. We know we have good players, pleasing on the eye and effective with the ball, but we have to earn the right.
"The form we have been in is of a high standard but it must be the same for the last four games."
