Sheridan hoping to strike it lucky in player market

Curtis Main

THE HUNT for a playmaker goes on, with time of the essence as John Sheridan tries to make his Athletic side a formidable opponent at home.

A 'new' Matty Palmer is being sought by Sheridan, who has brought in two of the men who guided the club away from danger in 2015-16.

Anthony Gerrard keeps his place for the visit of Peterborough tonight (7.45pm kick-off) in a free-entry game that could see striker Aaron Amadi-Holloway start from the off.

Last year's loan duo Amadi-Holloway and Curtis Main - who is currently with Portsmouth where he is out injured - played big roles in the successful battle against the drop, alongside a player in Palmer who is now a Championship regular at Burton.

"Matty was a player I liked and people didn't know who he was when I brought him here last year," said Sheridan, who hunts back-to-back home wins tonight in front of a crowd Athletic hope could reach the 8,000 mark.

"There are players out there. It is getting the right one. Luckily for us, Matty fitted in straight away. He is a good footballer who has gone on to better things with Burton where he is playing all the time.

"It doesn't always work. He is one of those who did. All three of the loans helped give us that push."

Michael Ngoo could get his second successive start up front and Sheridan - now without hamstring tear victim Cameron Dummigan for between six and eight weeks - hinted at further changes.

"Aaron and Michael haven't played too much football and neither has Anthony Gerrard," added Sheridan.

"I have not seen a lot of the players or the team yet.

"There are one or two who aren't in the side who I liked the attitude of and how they trained last week.

"It is early days, but we have games coming thick and fast.

"Whatever team I pick for Peterborough will be purely to try to win us that game."

Darius Osei and Lee Croft, who have both suffered hamstring strains recently, have now start running and should be back in full training by the end of the week.

Sheridan also said that in order to get new players in, he may have to let others move on.

"There are players I would like to get if I can. I have to speak to the chairman," he said.

"You can't just keep bringing them in. We need to balance things out."

Athletic (probable, 4-4-2): Ripley: Law, Clarke, Gerrard, Wilson; McLaughlin, Fane, Green, Flynn; Amadi-Holloway, Ngoo.

Subs (from): Kettings, Mantack, King, Reckord, Edmundson, Banks, Erwin, Mckay, Glackin.