Gardner is looking up the table, not down

The only way has got to be up for Athletic midfielder Dan Gardner.

Easter Monday’s dramatic comeback victory against Blackpool at Boundary Park lifted Athletic back out of the Sky Bet League One drop zone, and Gardner clearly doesn’t want to look back now.

Two or three more victories – out of Athletic’s remaining eight matches – will more than likely see safety assured, but 27-year-old former Chesterfield and Bury man Gardner wants guaranteed security sooner rather than later.

“Of course we want to be safe as soon as possible,” he said.

“Maybe then we can look forward to next season and the gaffer can start making plans around us.

“Basically we just need to pick up points.

“Having said that, I don’t think we should be looking at who’s below us now.

“For me, it’s more about catching the teams that are above us, rather than looking down.

“If we look at it that way, take it game by game, and play how we know we can play, then we’ll be fine.

“We did need to dig in to get the win in the second half against Blackpool, but once Jack (Byrne) came on he changed the game and scored the first goal.

“We have got good players in there. Aaron Holloway was coming on, Eoin Doyle got the winner, there’s Tope Obadeyi coming on and Duckens (Nazon) had done well – all those guys are very good in this league so as I say, we’ve got to look up now.

“We’ve got a team and a squad to challenge anyone on our day.”

Athletic head to Oxford on Saturday, another side in the bottom half, and one who haven’t won yet – in three games – under recently-appointed boss Karl Robinson.

Gardner said: “Every game in this league is hard, so Oxford will be just the same as us.

“If we beat them, though, we’re on the same points as them.

“We’ve got everything to play for, and if we can win, we move up a few places too.

“That’s what we need to be looking at.”

A former Crewe trainee who played almost 100 times for Chesterfield between 2014 and last summer, Gardner has truly made his mark at Boundary Park this term.

He has made 41 appearances so far this season, and he has shone in the Athletic engine room in the vast majority of those matches.

“It’s been my longest run of games and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all,” added Gardner.

“I’ve loved being at Oldham, with John Sheridan first and then with Richie, but it’s just good to be playing almost every game.

“Even though my body is in a bit of a mess at the moment to be honest, I’m just looking forward to every game, it’s a good feeling.

“I was in and out at Chesterfield and you just can’t get a good rhythm going.

“But the managers I’ve had here have given me their full backing, so it’s been good.”