Bunn salutes second-half rally

Athletic manager Frankie Bunn. Picture courtesy of Juel Miah

Athletic boss Frankie Bunn has saluted the second-half response of his team during the weekend's 3-1 home victory against Cambridge United.

It was during the interval at Boundary Park when Athletic’s manager laid into his side having witnesses one of the worst first halves of the season, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb.

The players returned to the pitch 1-0 down but it wouldn’t last.

Bunn got the response he wanted with goals from George Edmundson, Jordan Lyden and Callum Lang helping them to a 3-1 win, only their second victory in their last ten League Two games.

Now the manager is calling for that second 45 minutes to become the norm heading towards the busy festive period.

Bunn said: “There was a response which was good and pleasing but we shouldn’t be like that.

"That’s how we should start games and people will become fearful of us."

Athletic have two games left to play in November before they embark on the busy month of December which will include seven games in the league, FA Cup and Checkatrade Trophy.

It will be vital they go on a positive run in order to cement their place in League Two and stop supporters looking over their shoulder at the dreaded drop into non-league.

A run of good results could also give Athletic a sniff at a possible play-off place.

But Bunn knows he’ll have to see more of the second half against Cambridge than the first 45.

He added: “I’ve said this group is good enough to put a devastating performance in and I think they did second half, but I’d like to see us do it over a normal game.”

Next up for Athletic is a trip to Tranmere Rovers on Saturday (November 24).

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