Colbeck in line for Latics debut

JON WORTHINGTON: Back in training.

NEW-BOY Joe Colbeck is set to make his Athletic debut in tonight’s Coca-Cola League One home game against Hartlepool United.

The 22-year-old winger joined Athletic from Bradford City minutes before the transfer window shut.

He signed a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee and is expected to line up in Dave Penney’s side for the Boundary Park clash. Big-match preview on Pages 38-39

Athletic’s injury/illness troubles are easing and manager Penney could be afforded with the rare luxury of choosing which players to leave out.

That is in stark contrast to Tuesday when 10 professionals were ruled out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie against Accrington Stanley. when Penney was left with only 11 senior players.

Four of the absentees in midweek, Jon Worthington (ankle), Kelvin Lomax (groin), Paul Black (hamstring) and Keigan Parker (virus), are back in training.

Andy Holdsworth, who came off on Tuesday night feeling sick, was due back today for a fitness assessment.

But Chris Taylor is facing two more weeks on the sidelines, while Deane Smalley, Joe Jacobson and Rob Purdie have yet to kick a ball in a competitive match for Athletic this season.

Penney is looking for a positive response after the Accrington defeat.

He said: “We were 1-0 up and got ourselves into a winning position and should have kicked on.

“We had a debrief afterwards and talked things through with the players.

“Hopefully we can put things right tonight. We need to be more consistent and put a performance together for the whole game instead of 45 minutes or an hour which we have been doing.”

ATHLETIC (from): Brill, Holdsworth, Sheehan, Hazell, Gregan, Colbeck, Worthington, Marrow, Furman, Whitaker, Abbott, Blackman, Parker, Lomax, Lee, Black, Ollerenshaw, Brooke, Rowney, Bembo-Leta, McGrath.

Hartlepool are set to make a change up front with James Brown returning after injury in place of Colin Larkin.


THE Athletic ticket office and club shop is closed tomorrow.


OLDHAM Athletic Supporters’ Club are holding a quiz night in the Corner Flag Suite at Boundary Park on Monday (start 8pm).