Boss's pledge to sort out No.1 role

Photo: Anthony Miller

HEADS UP . . . Athletic front man Craig Davies challenges Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara in last night's friendly.

THE hunt for a goalkeeper rumbles on for frustrated John Sheridan, but Athletic's manager expects to have a new number one in very soon.

While Sunderland's Max Stryjek is on the radar, last night's 1-0 defeat to a Manchester United XI featured 45-minute stints between the posts for Cardiff's Ben Wilson and ex-York man Kyle Letheren.

A swoop for Connor Ripley failed to come off and was ruled out last week and trialist Niklas Bolten has returned home to Germany.

Sheridan stressed that he will remedy the situation by the time of Saturday's opening Sky Bet League One game at home to Oxford, when he hopes that last night's rested forward duo Courtney Duffus (virus) and Tope Obadeyi (knee) will be ready to return to the squad.

"Niklas didn't do anything wrong," said Sheridan. "But I don't feel he would be a number one and I need to get a goalkeeper I can be confident can fill that spot.

"Ben didn't have a lot to do. I am looking at him and Kyle has that bit of experience.

"I will have a goalkeeper in for Saturday. I want someone who I believe in and who hopefully wants to come here to do well for us.

"I am very frustrated, but that's life. It will be sorted.

"Believe me, I have been working my socks off regarding goalkeepers.

"There are so many available. And so many clubs have tried to help out by saying there is so-and-so who you can have. But some players don't want to play football. They would rather just collect their money.

"CONFIDENCE"

"I will bring a goalkeeper in and whoever I bring in, I will fill them with confidence and they will help us win matches.

"Whether he has played under-21 football or 600 games, I hope whoever he is, he comes in and does well."

Wilson (24) played three times in the Championship for Cardiff last season and eight matches on loan at Rochdale, having previously had a spell out at Wimbledon, while former Dundee goalkeeper Letheren (29) was back in the mix last night having trained with Athletic for a spell last month.

Sheridan still wants to land another midfielder but says that he is otherwise happy with the outfield make-up of his squad and the bright performance put in against United last night.

"Again, it was a really good work-out against a team who I knew would be technically very good," Sheridan added. "They were young, but there were a lot of players from in and around the first team.

"We could possibly have been two or three-up after half an hour, until the last 10 minutes of the first half when they got in the game.

"Brian Wilson, Paul Green and Dan Gardner were coming back having not played too much football of late. The most pleasing thing for me was the second half with all the young players on the pitch. I thought they were excellent.

"Plus, with the older ones I really liked the attitude of Ryan Flynn, Gardner and Cameron Dummigan.

"We lost the game and I don't like losing. But there were a lot of good things."

* FORMER Athletic midfielder Aiden O'Neill has signed for Fleetwood on a season-long loan from Burnley.