Young guns to get big chance

Reporter: TONY BUGBY
Date online: 31 March 2009

WITH Athletic’s promotion hopes all but over, manager Joe Royle is looking to the future.

There will be an even more youthful look to the Athletic team in the remaining six matches of their Coca-Cola League One campaign.

Royle is pledging when possible to give players like Matty Wolfenden (21), Kieran Lee (20) and Paul Black (19) their chance.

“Obviously they cannot all be thrown in at once,” said Royle. “It will be a case of feeding them in slowly in a mix of experience and youth.”

The Athletic manager has been impressed by the work Wolfenden, Lee and Black have put in on the training ground.

He has been particularly impressed with striker Wolfenden, who is back in action after an injury-ravaged campaign which has restricted him to one substitute appearance.

Royle said: “I am looking forward to having Matty back as he has looked sharp in training.

“I first noticed him a couple of years ago. He has great movement and is sharp around the box.

“I wondered where he had gone only to discover he has been injured, but fortunately we seem to have got to the bottom of his troubles.

“There is a fine line between giving him his chance as quickly as possible and nursing him back.”

Royle was so impressed by Wolfenden that he recommended him to a top Scottish club, who inquired if he knew of any good young strikers.

The Athletic manager has also liked the look of former Manchester United midfielder Lee on the training ground, while left-back Black has staked his claim for a place in the first-team squad.

ATHLETIC’S youth team were beaten 3-1 by Burnley at Chapel Road yesterday in the quarter-finals of the Lancashire Cup.

Coach Tony Philliskirk only had 12 players, including two goalkeepers, but his team produced possibly their best performance of the season against a side who are top of the North-West Conference of the Puma Youth Alliance.

Athletic’s goal came from Liam Dawson early in the second half to make it 2-1 and for the next 20 minutes they looked as though they might force an equaliser.