Och aye the Roo

BLYTH Spartans front man Dan Maguire was hoping to impress Athletic today.

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ADAM Rooney’s impending departure has left a hole in Athletic’s strike force — and for the time being it looks like the the remaining strike crop will have to step up.

The Chronicle understands that Rooney (25) spent yesterday in talks with Aberdeen over a permanent switch. No fee is involved.

It means a return to the Scottish Premier League for the former Inverness striker only six months after his arrival at Boundary Park as a free agent on a two-year deal.

Rooney has scored seven goals for Athletic, only four of them in the league.

Neither Aberdeen nor Athletic are commenting publicly on the transfer as yet, but Rooney’s departure would be without acrimony as far as Lee Johnson is concerned: the feeling is that for whatever reason, the move simply hasn’t worked out.

Athletic’s management team — who were today looking at trial Blyth Spartans forward Dan Maguire — feel there is little alternative talent on the market.

For now that is likely to mean the existing strikers will need to start finding the net more frequently.

Jonson Clarke-Harris, Danny Philliskirk, Charlie MacDonald, Kirk Millar and Gary Harkins have managed only 10 league goals between them so far this season



SACKED Oldham winger Cristian Montano was having his appeal heard today.

The 22-year-old ex-West Ham player was dismissed in December for gross misconduct, after appearing in a secretly-filmed video apparently showing his involvement in a spot-fixing scam.

Montano, who denies being involved in spot-fixing opted to appeal against the club’s decision.