Just watch those goals flow . . .

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HOWARTH

YES! Lee Croft scores his first goal for 11 years.

Lee Croft begins his new weekly column

I HAVE to admit that I was a little bit disappointed that nobody came on to the field after I scored at Bury!

Not that I’m condoning such behaviour, but I appreciated the chants I used to get: “if Crofty scores, we’re on the pitch”, from the supporters.

It was really enjoyable to find the net and as for suggestions that it was an own goal, there is absolutely no chance of that!

I think you could see from my face what it meant. Though for next time, I will have to get a proper celebration sorted out. I just ran as fast as I could.

It came as a relief, too: I had missed big chances to score at Colchester and at home to Fleetwood - but I have at least been getting into scoring positions, so it was time to make it count.

The last time I was here, I went a full season without scoring, so it was pleasing to get off the mark early — hopefully there will plenty more to come.

It is a shame we could not see it out to get three points at Bury. But taking the Shrewsbury game – where we were disappointing – out of it, I think it has been a good start to the season so far. The positive thing is that we believe we could be quite easily better off in terms of points, too. Had we kept hold of our leads, we would be right up there now.

Bradford will come at us tomorrow, no doubt, and the consensus is we will face a hard physical threat from them. But overall we have dealt with that well, so far. The key is to contain their threats and play the attacking football we know we can produce.

The support has been superb, both at home and particularly in the games at Walsall and Bury. With quite a few derbies to come against sides like Blackpool, Wigan and Rochdale, there will be plenty more enjoyable atmospheres to play in, I’m sure.

The spirit in the dressing room is very good and there are no big egos in there; just plenty of banter flying round. Connor Brown and I will probably bear the brunt of the new column in the matchday programme, in which the lads draw one of their team-mates. In fact I’m expecting it more or less every home game. . .



DO YOU have questions to put to Lee? Send them to sport@oldham-chronicle.co.uk and he will answer them in next week’s column.