Don't write us off

CONNOR Ripley is looking forward to facing Sheffield United on Saturday

SHEFFIELD United might not fancy their trip to face Athletic, reckons star goalkeeper Connor Ripley.

The leaders in Sky Bet League One, who boast a nine-point advantage over second-placed Bolton with eight games left, arrive at SportsDirect.com Park on Saturday bidding to do the league double over John Sheridan's men.

While the bookmakers will no doubt have Chris Wilder's champions-elect as favourites to win a fourth straight game, Ripley has an increasing belief in Athletic's ability to rise to the challenge.

"Every game is winnable and we don't write any of them off," said Ripley, who was named in the League One representative team of the season this week.

"They have to come to our ground and have to play on a hard pitch they don't want to play on.

"It could work in our favour. We know we are capable of beating these sides - we beat Scunthorpe 2-0 earlier in the season - and I am a lot more confident now. Long may it continue.

"We need a couple more wins. Port Vale have games in hand and we need to win a couple more at least to make sure we stay in the division.

"It is tight down there and we have been beating teams and bringing them into the dogfight.

"We need teams in and around us that we can climb above. Now we have to keep on getting the points."

The Blades have sold out their ticket allocation and will bring across 4,350 fans, all stationed in the Jimmy Frizzell Stand.

Ripley hopes that Athletic can attract a bumper crowd of their own around the other three sides of the ground and provide a level of noise that can help further improve a recent home record that has seen only one loss in the last nine outings.

"We were a little bit unlucky at Bramall Lane, but now they are coming to a stadium where the pitch isn't the greatest and which doesn't work in their favour," said Ripley, referring back to the Boxing Day defeat featuring two Billy Sharp goals in the 72nd and 88th minutes. "Hopefully, we can nick something.

"We need the fans to help us and get behind us.

"They have been brilliant all season and never stopped at Peterborough. It helps us along and pushes us as well."

Ripley is now on 15 clean sheets in the league and 16 in all competitions. The club record is held by Les Pogliacomi, who racked up 18 in the league and 19 in total in the 2002-03 campaign.

Only a Junior Morias header prevented him adding another to the tally, but Ripley still feels a new high mark is possible.

"It is frustrating but now, we can't do anything about it," Ripley said of the equaliser at London Road.

"It is what it is and I still have games left to beat that clean sheets record."

Port Vale could climb out of the bottom-four if they win at bottom club Coventry tonight (7.45pm kick-off). In the night's other League One games, Oxford host Bolton and Millwall are at Rochdale.