Sheridan targets next step

RUNNING MAN . . . Athletic midfielder Ousmane Fane charges forward. PICTURE by ALAN HOWARTH

ATHLETIC'S squad have been challenged to continue improving, after taking another progressive step in an increasingly tight battle against relegation.

A goalless draw at Swindon keeps the County Ground outfit five points adrift of John Sheridan's side, who remain 19th having recently seen off Coventry City and Charlton Athletic at SportsDirect.com Park.

Elsewhere, a George Miller goal in added time gave Lee Clark his first win as Bury boss, lifting them outside the relegation zone and to within a point of Athletic.

Sheridan now has a midweek free of a fixture for the first time this month and wants his side to continue their recent good form by gaining a result at home to a Millwall side who dumped reigning Premier League champions Leicester City out of the FA Cup on Saturday (see Page 32).

'IMPROVE'
"I want us to get better and win games and improve," said Sheridan, who now has 16 points from nine matches since returning to the club.

"I wasn't happy with the way we played in the first half. But I applaud the players for getting a point.

"It was a bigger game for Swindon than it was for us. It keeps them the same distance away from us, though a couple of teams scored late on around us.

"It is really tight in this division.

"Coventry have won and Charlton scored three goals at Rochdale. They are two big results to get six points and we got a point here too."

Connor Ripley secured a 12th clean sheet of the league season and the club record of 20 in a season is within sight, but after 19 games without scoring across the season Sheridan wants more inventiveness too.

"Connor made one or two good saves and it's another clean sheet. But I would like us to be a bit more positive going forward," he said.

"It is picking that right pass, right weight of pass, right cross - where do I want to deliver it? - and people making the right run.

"We haven't scored again and our problem is lack of goals. I know we will defend as a team."