Search for a front-man goes on

Photo: Alan Howarth

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER . . . Athletic forward Lee Erwin tries to break free.

ATHLETIC are up and running and hoping for three points tomorrow, as boss Stephen Robinson continues to pursue his new striker target.

A clean sheet in a goalless draw at home to Walsall came after Lee Erwin had hit a post with the hosts' best chance.

The all-round efforts of the on-loan Leeds striker were highlighted for praise by Robinson, who admits he may not have his intended Premier League loan striker on board in time to face Northampton Town at SportsDirect.com Park tomorrow (7.45pm kick-off).

Robinson is waiting on his target's parent club to green-light the deal. For now at least, Athletic's manager is content with the fact that though there is plenty of room for improvement, his men are dealing well in the fundamentals.

"There is a lot of work to do, but you can see the seeds have been sown," said Robinson.

'DESIRE'

"Defensively we look very good and we are a team that works until we can run no more.

"We say to them, that's the 'free' stuff in football - desire, energy and aggression.

"That is a 10 out of 10 every week and it has to be.

"We showed it against Wigan and Walsall and that's what the crowd demand."

Robinson signed two more players late last week, though neither featured in the squad for Walsall.

Former Wycombe and Blackpool defender Charles Dunne (23) and ex-Hull winger Calaum Jahraldo-Martin (23) have both joined on short-term deals after featuring as trialists against Everton in last week's Lancashire FA Senior Cup final.

Dunne has 99 senior appearances to his name and played 23 times for Blackpool in the Championship, spending time last season out on loan at Crawley.

Jahraldo-Martin has less experience, but appeared twice for Hull at the start of their promotion campaign to the Premier League, before playing 15 times while on loan at Leyton Orient.

Another relatively new player Ryan McLaughlin featured in the Saddlers draw as a second-half substitute as a pacy option off the bench.

With all three of the fresh faces, Robinson says that fitness levels dictate they are not nearly ready for 90-minute run-outs in the first team just yet.

"Both boys (Dunne and Jahraldo-Martin) have only trained for three or four days, as has Ryan," said Robinson.

"They are very much a long way away at the moment, but we will get them there."