Big striker will cause rivals problems - Johnson

Jabo Ibehre: big presence at the front

BIG Jabo Ibehre made an immediate impression on boss Lee Johnson as the former Colchester front man played a major role in helping Athletic to beat Walsall.

The 31-year-old former Leyton Orient, Walsall and MK Dons striker Ibehre was given his debut as a 54th-minute substitute for Dominic Poleon. Athletic went on to win a gutsy 2-1 comeback victory over the Saddlers to make it 10 games without defeat.

Ibehre put himself about in the final half-hour of the game and almost scored minutes after coming on.

Johnson, who snapped up Ibehre on a 93-day loan from the U’s last Thursday, said: “Jabo’s clearly not as sharp as he could be, but he showed just what a threat he can be.

“He hasn’t trained for four or five weeks so I didn’t really plan on giving him as long as I did in the second half. I felt Dominic Poleon looked tired so a bit of a change of plan was required.

“Jabo can play a bit, though. He got the ball down and almost scored as soon as he came on.

“By his own admission he’s not really where he needs to be in terms of fitness, but even if it’s off the bench for 15 or 20 minutes or so for a few weeks, that’s good enough.

“We have got options and variety in the squad at the moment and that’s another positive going forward.

“I’m looking around and I’m seeing a bench that’s looking really strong. That could be a crucial trait as we move deeper into the season.”



ATHLETIC entertain Southport tonight in the first round of the Lancashire Senior Cup.

The game will take place at SportsDirect.com Park and will kick-off at 7pm. Pay at the turnstiles only.