Inspirational Clarke continues fighting on

Peter Clarke

ATHLETIC'S captain fantastic Peter Clarke managed to go 10 games without his name being written in a referee's notebook - but was almost banned for a foul he didn't commit.

The 34-year-old skipper has side-stepped a one-match suspension, along with team-mates Ryan Flynn, Ollie Banks and Ousmane Fane, after not collecting a fifth yellow card by the end of November.

It was a close-run thing, though, with the skipper almost booked by referee Graham Salisbury for a third-minute 'foul' on Josh Morris that brought an ironic comparison to a famous Olympian.

"The lad was coming at quite a pace and cut in," Clarke recalled. "I thought to myself, if this isn't 100-per-cent right then I give away a free-kick. I decided not to make a tackle and the lad dived something like Tom Daley.

ERROR

"The referee gave the free-kick and I pleaded my innocence. Fortunately he didn't book me and he admitted afterwards he made an error of judgment in giving the free-kick."

Living to fight another day, Clarke was part of the Athletic team that battled to a 2-2 draw at Port Vale and after kicking his heels due to the postponement of the Peterborough clash, says the squad can't wait to get back into the action at Lincoln City in Monday night's big FA Cup second-round tie.

That's a game Paul Green could return for, competing for a place within a squad free of injury and suspension worries.

However, the captain is taking nothing for granted.

Old enough to have played alongside Paul Gascoigne for Everton when Crewe gained a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park, he was on the receiving end of a shock when Shrewsbury beat the Toffees 2-1 at gay Meadow 13 years ago.

And in 2008, Clarke was up against non-league opposition at Telford, when Southend managed to escape with a 2-2 draw.

"The boys are all looking forward to the game after a bit of a break following the postponement," Clarke added.

"Greeny is getting near again and we look forward to the cup tie and doing what we need to do to progress to the next round.

"Over the course of time, I've played in ties against bigger sides and non-league and lower-league opposition in this competition.

"No matter whether it's a team from the top of the Premier League or the National League, we will give them the same respect they deserve and prepare ourselves in a way that gives us the best opportunity to win the tie."

Lincoln are top of the Vanarama National League and on a run of seven wins in eight, with no defeats since September.

Clarke admits that there may not be much difference between the Imps' division and League Two, but plans to show the opposition what Athletic are about.

"If teams get a bit of momentum, they can ride the crest of a wave. Grimsby have shown that after promotion and they are doing well this season," he said.

"It is the case for any cup tie that you want to quieten the crowd - not just because Lincoln are on a decent run.

"We will go there with a game plan to beat them."