Focused on the present

Peter Clarke

ATHLETIC'S nightmare at Sincil Bank won't be playing on the minds of the players when they step out tomorrow night at Mansfield.

As far as captain Peter Clarke is concerned, the last trip to a club of a lower ranking is no longer relevant.

And with Stephen Robinson's side only three victories away from a Wembley final in the Checkatrade Trophy, what is more important for Clarke is the performance put in during the last outing against Port Vale - and not the poor effort that saw the club succumb to a 3-2 first-round FA Cup exit at National League club Lincoln City.

"It is a different game to Lincoln and it provides us with an opportunity to progress in a different cup competition," said Clarke.

"Lincoln is a long time gone. It wasn't a great performance, but that has been put to bed.

"We now move on, in a different competition and against different opposition. We will go there very well prepared and will give ourselves the best chance of getting that bit closer to a final."

Steve Evans' Stags won 3-0 at home to Crewe on Saturday, moving the club up to 14th in the Sky Bet League Two table.

Clarke feels that though Athletic only took one point from their festive fixtures at Sheffield United and Fleetwood and at home to Vale, they were missing an element of fortune.

"In the game at Bramall Lane, eight out of 10 strikers don't hit the ball the way Billy Sharp does when it sits up," said Clarke, of the Blades' first scorer in the 2-0 win on Boxing Day. "The lad has moved for a lot of money and played for big clubs.

"The second goal really was farcical and a clear foul on Connor Ripley, but it was a good performance and the two after that were very encouraging.

"It gives us reason to be positive that we can move on up from where we are at this moment in time."

Former Athletic defender Cameron Burgess has made a switch to Bury on loan for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old made 31 appearances for Athletic while on loan from Fulham this season, scoring twice against Oxford and then Walsall in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Burgess was an unused substitute for the Shakers on Saturday as they lost 3-2 at Scunthorpe.

Shrewsbury drew 1-1 at Swindon and Chesterfield were beaten 2-0 at Bradford on a good day of results for Athletic, who remain bottom and three points adrift of safety but with a game in hand on Coventry (23rd) and two in hand on Chesterfield (22nd), Bury (21st) and Shrewsbury (20th).

Danny Wilson was sacked by Chesterfield after their defeat at Valley Parade - a fourth defeat in the last six outings.

Ritchie Humphreys has been named as caretaker manager.