Gavin McCann believes a win on Saturday afternoon will kick-start a run of form for Bolton Wanderers in the final month of the season.

Wanderers' tenacious midfielder is aiming to return to winning ways against the club he served between 2003 and 2007 as the Whites tackle Aston Villa at the Reebok Stadium.

Since the last outing on home soil three weeks ago, Bolton have suffered slender defeats at Chelsea and Portsmouth, both games McCann feels could have yielded positive results, especially the trip to Fratton Park.

He said: "I think we should have a few more points on the board, looking at the league table and some of the results we have had. We've done well in matches and not got the result we deserved.

"We perhaps have lost too many and we need to get into a habit of nicking points when we aren't playing too well. An example was at Portsmouth where we should have nicked a point.

"We've had some good performances, so we just need to carry on going in the last five games."

McCann feels that he has had a productive season in a Bolton Wanderers shirt, making 29 appearances which included a man-of-the-match display in the club's 3-1 victory away at West Ham United.

He added: "I started off a bit slow and then I broke my toe at Arsenal, but I feel that I've done well. It's always the case though, that when you are playing well you pick up a little niggle like I did.

"I've done okay since I came back. Now I want to finish as strongly as I can in the remaining five games."

McCann swapped Villa Park for the Reebok Stadium in the summer of 2007 for a fee of £1m and he will be facing his former club for the fourth time in a Bolton Wanderers shirt on Saturday afternoon.

He added: "I've not really done too well against Aston Villa since I've been here, a draw at home has been the best result we've had. So we are due a win!

"They are always decent games between the two teams but we'll have to be careful because Villa have some good players. They are up there in the league and they will need to win to keep pushing because recently they have had some tough games."