Joel’s my number one

Photo: Darren Robinson

JOEL COLEMAN . . . the young goalkeeper will learn from his mistakes, says Athletic boss John Sheridan.

JOHN Sheridan says he won’t pull punches in telling young goalkeeper Joel Coleman where he is going wrong.

But for this season it appears the young keeper will remain Athletic’s first choice. Coleman (20) made an error in trying to punch clear rather than catch a corner in the build-up to Port Vale’s goal this week.

Boss Sheridan told the promising goalkeeper — who was watched closely against Vale by at least one Championship club — what he expects from him, but also underlined his overall belief in his talent.

“Whether a player is 36 or 19, I have the same approach,” Sheridan said. “He’s a young kid thrown in, at a difficult time. When you make bad decisions as a goalkeeper you usually get punished. But it will make him stronger and he will learn from it.

“It’s gone now and he made a great save as well to keep us in the game. I told him what I felt about the goal and then that he had made a great save when, at 2-0, we probably wouldn’t have got anything.

“He is a young kid and I am all for patting people on the back — but sometimes, you have to be straight.

“There is a lot of pressure on us wanting to win games and he has to be strong himself too. He is a good keeper - still learning the game.”

David Cornell is Athletic’s number two and was the preferred option for most of previous manager David Dunn’s reign. But Sheridan indicated that he will opt for continuity.

“I don’t feel I’m in a position to change everything round. That is something I will look at in the summer, hopefully after we achieve what we want to,” he added.

“While Joel is there, he has to grow up — simple as. that. But I trust him and it’s important he knows I trust him - while also knowing I will tell him if he should be doing better.”