Latics skipper hails defender’s impact

anthony gerrard: back line leader.

ATHLETIC skipper Liam Kelly says the major factor behind Athletic’s stirring revival is the new-look mean defence.

Eight points adrift of safety before Anthony Gerrard added leadership to the back line two months ago, John Sheridan’s men are now level on points with Fleetwood in 20th. The ability to grind out results has been shown lately in home victories over Blackpool and Chesterfield.

Both those wins saw Sheridan’s side keep a clean sheet - making five in the last dozen outings. Kelly believes this is key, and hopes the team can now find a way to net more at the other end in spite of likely lengthy absences of strike pair Aaron Amadi-Holloway and Timmy Thiele.

“I don’t think our performances were terrible in the first half of the season,” said Kelly. “We conceded goals too easily and weren’t putting the ball in at the other end. The big difference now is the number of clean sheets we’ve had since the new manager and Anthony Gerrard came in.

“Additional strikers have made a big difference as well. We need to build on the scoring part of our game, but things are moving in the right direction.”

Athletic have another pair of home fixtures to come - Swindon on Tuesday and Walsall on April 9.

Kelly feels the state of the playing surface can work in his side’s favour bearing in mind Swindon’s feted passing style.

“Our home form was poor in the first half of the season. But the pitch has deteriorated and we have developed a style that means teams coming here find it hard to play against us.

“Swindon will find it hard. They like to pass it about and on that pitch they will find it really difficult.

“Hopefully we’ll have the strength to overpower them.”

Athletic are waiting for scan results from Amadi-Holloway’s ankle injury, sustained against Chesterfield, while Burton manager Nigel Clough says on-loan Timmy Thiele’s season could be over due to his dislocated shoulder in the same Chesterfield game.