Midfielder caps top show with winning strike

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HOWARTH

FULL STRETCH: Joseph Mills produces athleticism to provide a cross into the Walsall penalty box.

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Athletic 2, Walsall 1

TEN games without defeat is a superb effort at any level of football – but Athletic boss Lee Johnson has now guided his confidence-fuelled young team to that achievement twice in 19 months.

The increasingly-popular 32-year-old is forging an enviable reputation at Athletic in Sky Bet League One, sticking to enterprising football despite the obstacles that come with third-tier football.

The thoughtfully-assembled squad Johnson continues to build is now up to a heady eighth in the table level on points with Chesterfield, with whom they go toe-to-toe with next weekend - in the final play-off position.

On Saturday it was probably character that dragged Athletic to three points - and as many people know, Johnson is big on character. The hosts fell behind to an early strike from Walsall but Athletic roared back to see off their gritty opponents.

Johnson made the slightest of tweaks to his starting line-up following the exciting, attacking performance against Barnsley in midweek in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Carl Winchester and skipper Liam Kelly returned to the side, in place of James Dayton and Michael Tidser.

At the back, Timothee Dieng was rewarded again after shining in midweek, while giant front man Jabo Ibehre was a substitute.

It was another enterprising and attacking first half performance from Athletic, but the hosts were shocked after 10 minutes by a classic over-the-top, route-one strike from the Saddlers.

Defensive lynchpin Andy Butler sent a long ball from the heart of the defence and Jordan Cook steadied and lashed a shot past Paul Rachubka from 18 yards.

It was a stunning early blow for Athletic, and Cook came close again in the next five minutes. But after that the hosts took charge.

Danny Philliskirk and the recalled Winchester went close, as did the impressive Mike Jones, before Conor Wilkinson grabbed his cherished first Athletic strike on the half hour. Jones found space on the left and fired in a tight-angled shot which was blocked. As the ball rebounded to Wilkinson, he drilled home clinically from 10 yards.

The chances dried up a little in the second period, but it was a 45 minutes in which Athletic were forced to dig in hard for the three points they eventually pocketed.

Once Ibehre was called to arms in place, much to his annoyance of Poleon, the tide turned in the hosts' favour.

The giant hit-man is clearly set to give plenty of opposition defences nightmares in the coming weeks. He almost scored within three minutes and harassed and harried, adding a crucial extra dimension to Athletic's forward play in the final half-hour.

They had been probing, with Winchester twice going close, before Jones' super strike won the game with 15 minutes to go. His shot flicked off Adam Chambers on its way to soaring into the net off the

underside of the crossbar, but it would probably have gone in without the deflection.

There was relief in the stands as Athletic went on to repel anything further Walsall had to offer.