Back-to-back clean sheets earn 'keeper special bonus

Photo: Alan Howarth

NOT THIS TIME . . . Charles Dunne goes close for Athletic last night as they were held to a goalless draw by Northampton

CONNOR Ripley earned an unusual clean-sheet bonus last night - a box of nappies from chairman Simon Corney.

Ripley (23) became a father for the first time on the eve of taking on Northampton.

The on-loan Middlesbrough man's new son Luca was born at 3am on the day of the game, but Ripley showed no signs of tiredness in shutting out Northampton in a 0-0 draw last night.

He made an excellent stop from Matthew Taylor's free-kick - using an unusual part of his anatomy - to help make it two clean sheets in a row, following on from Walsall at the weekend.

"It is always nice to get two clean sheets on the bounce and it was good to get 200 Pampers off the chairman as well," Ripley (pictured right) said.

"It was just a reaction save. I put my hand up, saved it and it hit me in the face before dropping to their striker who hit it over.

"I can't complain and that's what I am there to do, stop the ball from going in."

Ripley's manager Stephen Robinson was left frustrated after a performance he felt was only lacking in front of goal.

A second draw leaves Athletic 19th in the early-season table, ahead of a trip to Bury on Saturday.

"I am a little bit frustrated as I felt we played really well," said Robinson, who was without Jamie Reckord due to his having a tight groin.

"Rob Page (Northampton's manager) said he thinks we have a team of boys who will run and die for the club, so that's a big compliment for any manager.

"We need it to go in off someone's backside or shoulder, anything like that. We had another one cleared off the line here.

"I have full belief in the players we have brought in here and it is three unbeaten for us now.

"People will always see the negative side of things but we were up against a team that are very hard to play against.

"It is a team that fans can relate to, putting their foot in for everything and chasing to the last minute. I can't ask for a single thing more from them at the moment.

"The back four and midfield were solid and we made changes to go attacking.

"The goals will definitely come."

Robinson confirmed that Athletic are still hunting down a Premier League striker, but need his club to themselves get a new player in before allowing the target out on loan.

Liandro Martis, the winger who scored for Athletic while on trial against Preston, is to sign for Leicester City on a three-year deal.

He will go into the club's under-23s squad, with the possibility of going out on loan.