I WOULD not have liked to have been in the Bolton dressing room at half time on Saturday.

There were no hairdryers and no teacups thrown but I’m told the air turned blue when Owen Coyle ripped into the players.

He slated them, and rightly so, because he’s a winner. Whatever he plays – head tennis, scrabble, cards –he can’t stand losing and he won’t tolerate performances that don’t come up to the high standards he demands.

Thankfully, that half-time blast at Stoke did the trick. The team responded magnificently and got three precious points.

I was especially delighted for Matty Taylor, who got those two late goals.

Matty’s not had the best of times this season. He’s struggled with illness, his form has dipped and he’s had a few of the fans on his back.

But, for me, he’s a big game player and is so good on set-pieces that he’s always likely to get you a vital goal or two, as he did on Saturday.

I was made up for the lad. He’s come back into the team with two brilliant performances, which not only shows his character but is also a testimony to Owen Coyle’s ability to get the best out of the characters in his team.

That’s good management.

We’re not home and dry yet, though, and there’s a massive game in prospect at the Reebok on Saturday.

Portsmouth might be relegated but they have nothing to lose and they’ve shown with some of their recent performances that they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Kevin Davies and the lads are going to need that Reebok roar behind them because Portsmouth’s fans, who have the FA Cup final to look forward to, are going to be out in force.

We’re a lot more comfortable than we were a couple of weeks ago but we don’t want to be relying on anyone else to make sure we are safe, so the manager will be doing all in his power to make sure we get across the line this weekend.

I spoke to a lot of the staff members and players after the Stoke game and they were all delighted with the way the fans supported them. They were behind the team all the way and it made a difference.

More of the same on Saturday and the supporters really can be the 12th man and cheer the team to the result they want.