Deals for new players close

JOHN SHERIDAN . . . the Athletic boss will consider the state of the club’s home pitch when he brings in a new striker.

JOHN Sheridan is 90 per cent certain two new signings will arrive at the club next week.


Shrugging off the desperate disappointment of not managing to land his centre-forward and wing targets on deadline day this week, Athletic’s manager will turn to the emergency loan market to boost the squad after tomorrow’s game against Blackpool.

“I’ve got three strikers in my head. Any one of the three will do me,” Sheridan added. “We need something a bit different. I look at our pitch and it’s not a pitch where you can pass a ball around. You could see the difference on Shrewsbury’s pitch, where we looked a good team, passing it around.

“It is difficult on our pitch and we’ve got to respect that. I feel we need a different kind of player if we need to play a different way to win a game.”

Athletic haven’t achieved back to back league wins all season, but for Sheridan, the recent defeat by Bury contained positive factors. With 19 games left it is imperative Athletic overcomes its near-rivals tomorrow.

Mike Jones had stitches put in on a nasty foot injury he sustained during the Shrewsbury game, but it is sore it is hoped he will be passed fit. Dominic Poleon is carrying a knock to a leg which leaves him 50-50, while Brian Wilson remains out of contention and might return against Wigan. Connor Brown will serve the last game of his three match ban.


A NEW date will have to be found for Athletic’s home game against Barnsley, scheduled for Saturday, April 2. The Tykes face a Wembley meeting with Oxford in the Johnstone Paint Trophy that weekend after beating Fleetwood in last night’s Northern semi-final.