Pause the applause

ADMIRING GLANCES . . . Athletic boss Lee Johnson (in the background) wss clearly impressed with a piece of skill from his namesake, Daniel, in the game against Crawley

ATHLETIC fans who still worship their former hero Jose Baxter have been asked to hold their tongues tomorrow.

Last season at Bramall Lane, Jonson Clarke-Harris’s opening goal was cancelled out by a blockbuster of a free-kick from former Everton whizz-kid Baxter.

Lee Johnson believes the ‘Jose Baxter, baby’ song belted out by travelling Athletic fans gave him the spur to smash home in the 1-1 draw.

Baxter is set to start for Sheffield United tomorrow as the attacking spearhead. Michael Higdon is injured.

Johnson wants Athletic’s travelling faithful - which could top 1,300 fans tomorrow - to salute Baxter only after the final whistle has blown.

And he has emphasised the importance of keeping possession in Athletic’s bid to win away in South Yorkshire for the second time this season.

“They have a lot of talented players and we have to take our game to them,” Johnson said.

“They have a few mavericks: Jose, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Jamie Murphy and Stefan Scougall.

“But they also have weaknesses you can exploit if you can keep the ball.”

Athletic have their own men capable of moments of Baxter-esque magic, not least loan signing Daniel Johnson, who scored a superb solo goal on debut against Crawley last week.

Though his manager accepts that such dazzling efforts won’t arrive with clockwork regularity, he hopes his men can maintain a level of consistency.

“It’s a slog, as there are so many games,” Johnson said. After Preston visit SportsDirect.com Park on Tuesday night in a Northern area quarter-final in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, the short trip to Spotland is followed up by a home FA Cup clash with Doncaster.