Kevin Davies scored to give the Trotters a 1-0 win at home to West Ham United on Saturday, while Fulham beat Reading and Birmingham City failed to win against Everton at home.

Bolton are now just two points from safety with four matches left to play.

And the former West Bromwich Albion manager said: "It is massive. We knew if we won and results went against us elsewhere that would be a big blow but that has not happened.

"Fulham being in that equation, beating Reading, is a good thing. They have to play Birmingham as well so what could have been a dead game and pointless fixture certainly isn't now - it is a huge game.

"We've got to try to focus on getting as many points out of the remaining 12 as we can and hope things start going for us as opposed to going the other way.

"Before Saturday, in the last 50 games we have only beaten one team that is a top-half Premier League team and that was Manchester United a few months ago. In the last nine games we've played, eight have fallen into that category."