Latics’ Palmer hope

Photo: Alan Howarth

up and at ’em . . . Matt Palmer wins a header against Scunthorpe on Saturday.

ATHLETIC hope to land Matt Palmer again ahead of a pivotal month in the battle against the drop.

The midfielder’s youth loan with the club officially ended on Saturday, but boss John Sheridan has talked to Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough about bringing Palmer back.

Clough has signed 18-year-old midfielder Hamza Choudhury for a month’s loan from Leicester, so the path would appear to be clear for Palmer to come back to Oldham. Athletic hope to be able to name him in the side against Port Vale tomorrow night.

Tomorrow’s Vale game is the first of seven games in March, five at home. It is also the sixth fixture in only 18 days - but given the energy shown by his substitutes on Saturday, plus plus the impending returns of Jonathan Forte and Aaron Amadi-Holloway — Sheridan is happy with his options.

“It is good that subs come off the bench and affect the game, and Jake Cassidy and Mike Jones did that at Scunthorpe. I expect us to win games at home now, with the way we are playing and the confidence we have in the team.”

Scunthorpe’s 88th-minute equaliser by Kyle Wootton, came after defensive error and leaves Athletic 22nd in the league, a point from safety.

“It was a good, workmanlike performance, though we have played better in the previous couple of games. We got something from the game, which is what we had to do. Now we have a big month with five of seven games at home, where we have to show our character.”