Patience the key, warns Sheridan

Kelvin Lomax: Set to return to the Athletic side against Hereford.

JOHN SHERIDAN has warned Athletic players and fans that patience could be needed in Sunday’s clash with Hereford United.

Sheridan expects the visitors to play a negative game at Boundary Park, attempting to stifle an Athletic team who have blasted 11 goals in four home league matches.

Hereford are bottom of League One, whereas Sheridan’s men are looking to climb back into the top two.

But Athletic are without a win for three outings and the manager said it was vital to stay cool this weekend.

He explained: “It’s a game we should win, but Hereford are a well-organised side who get men behind the ball.

“We’ve had them watched and it’s the way they play. They will work very hard and defend in numbers, so we might have to stay patient.

“That’s a situation which can get to you as players – frustration builds up, you rush things and you make wrong decisions.

“People will be thinking it’s a home banker, but Hereford got a very good draw against Walsall last week and it’s not that simple.

“We’ve had a hiccup in our last three games and, although we haven’t played badly, two points out of nine isn’t good enough if you are going for promotion.

“The fans should still be excited, though. I know we lost at Stockport last week, but we are averaging two points per game this season – if we carry on with that we’ll go up.”

Sheridan is set to recall Kelvin Lomax for Sunday’s match (2pm kick-off) as Neal Eardley is away with Wales under-21s, who face England in Cardiff tonight.

Lomax was playing at left-back until being dropped last week, but he is an obvious stand-in for Eardley on the other side of defence.

Richie Byrne keeps his place at centre-half as Sean Gregan completes a ban, while striker Lee Hughes should return from injury.

Hereford will be largely unchanged from last week’s goalless draw with Walsall, but striker Moses Ashikodi is doubtful.

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

HEREFORD (from): Randolph, Jackson, Broadhurst, N’Gotty, Rose, O’Leary, Diagouraga, Taylor, Hudson-Odoi, Williams, Ashikodi, Done, Easton, Johnson, Beckwith, Chadwick, Breen, Samson.