Latics support inspires Kelly

FOR some, tonight’s Bolton Wanderers game will go down as an exercise in shaking off the cobwebs. But not for Athletic manager Darren Kelly.

He will take up his spot in the home technical area for the first time, hopefully to see his team take its third pre-season win.

The teams will play in front of a North Stand in which all the seats have been installed - providing a taste of things to when it is opened to the public.

But fans around the other areas of the ground can play their part, Kelly argues, just as they did at Chester and Stirling Albion.

“I can’t wait for it,” Kelly said. “The adrenaline pumps through my veins when I watch games and I want to go out and head every ball. I look to the support we have been getting at away games and it inspires me, because they are vocal and exactly what we need. It is absolutely amazing.”

Kelly’s counterpart at Bolton, Neil Lennon, is in some need of a pick me up after three losses in pre-season.

Kelly’s men are bidding to get past new Wanderers goalkeeper Ben Amos, a former loan star with Athletic under Paul Dickov.

Athletic are free of injury concerns and Mike Jones and Jonathan Forte could play at some stage after both returned to full training last week. Slovenian forward Alen Ploj could feature again for Athletic, with fellow trialist Gavin Gunning expected to take a defensive role.