This is my time - Smith

MATT SMITH - ‘I want to get out there’

MATT Smith says he is the man to fill Matt Derbyshire’s boots and fire Athletic up the npower League One table.

Nottingham Forest loanee Derbyshire is back at his parent club and there will be no shortage of clubs interested in snapping him up, making a return to Boundary Park far from certain.

And target man Smith believes the busy festive and New Year schedule presents him with the perfect opportunity to force his way into a regular starting berth.

He said: “With Matt back at Forest and no immediate replacement from outside this club, there is a chance for me to get more time on the pitch and score some goals.

“There are lots of fixtures on the way which hopefully means I will have an opportunity to impress the

manager. I certainly feel fit and raring to go.

“I have been champing at the bit for quite a while now to get out there and find some consistent scoring form.

“The reason Oldham signed me in the first place was because I was playing week-in, week-out and banging in the goals. It is what grabbed their attention and I want to replicate that form here.”

Smith has set his sights on partnering Jose Baxter up front for this weekend’s trip to Yeovil Town.

The 6ft 7in forward thinks the outcome of the clash with Gary Johnson’s Glovers outfit is a tough one to call.

He continued: “What I have found in this division is that everyone is capable of beating everyone else.

“We are close to Yeovil in the table, with only four points separating us, so it will probably come down to who performs on the day.

“I think it is important that we are quick out of the blocks and, most importantly of all, play the kind of football the manager wants us to play.

“Training has been very lively this week as everyone is striving to get out there and return to winning ways. We were disappointed to lose the last game, but the manager always tells us not to get too carried away with the highs or too down with the lows, so we have tried to put that disappointment behind us and focus on the next test.”



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