Gregan sounds a rallying call

SEAN GREGAN (right): Looking for a winning start.

CAPTAIN Sean Gregan has issued a rallying cry to his Athletic team-mates on the eve of the League One season.

Athletic got off to a flier 12 months ago by beating eventual champions Swansea, and Gregan is looking for three points at home to Millwall tomorrow – followed by the sort of run which turns Boundary Park into a stronghold.

He said: “In the early part of last season we lost too many home games 1-0, so it’s up to us to change that.

“You concede the first goal and say ‘here we go again’, so we need to get in front and give ourselves something to defend.

“That’s the task we face. We need three points against Millwall and then we need to build from there when the table settles down.

“It’s a tough start to the season with Millwall, a local derby at Rochdale (in the Carling Cup) and the game at Leeds, but we are confident.

“We have strength in depth this year and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get into the top six.

“Even one of the stands coming down is something we can turn to our advantage – it’s freezing here at the best of times so it won’t be the best place for opposing teams.

“We need to make sure our home form is strong, and hopefully the fans will help us with that. They stuck with us last year and maybe this time we can do better.

“Nobody needs firing up when you are waiting for the real stuff to begin. Pre-season is a drag, but we can’t wait to get going.”

Athletic have only one player missing from training – striker Matt Wolfenden (thigh) – as they look ahead to the Millwall test.

Lee Hughes has an outside chance of being involved after recovering from his broken toe, although Kieran Lee and John Thompson, both of whom missed a large part of pre-season, aren’t being considered for tomorrow.

Millwall have signed striker Tresor Kandol on loan from Leeds.

ATHLETIC (from): Crossley, Fleming, Eardley, Hazell, Gregan, Stam, Lomax, Allott, Maher, Whitaker, Stephens, Liddell, Taylor, Smalley, Davies, O’Grady, Alessandra, Hughes.

MILLWALL (from): Forde, Dunne, Robinson, Whitbread, Craig, Abdou, Laird, Fuseini, Grabban, Alexander, Kandol, Brkovic, Martin, Harris, Frampton, Bignot, Grimes, Edwards.

There will be a minute’s applause in tribute to Ernie Cooksey before kick-off tomorrow.

TICKETS for the Carling Cup tie at Rochdale on Tuesday, plus the match at Leeds next weekend, are on open sale.