Maher set for starting role

KEVIN MAHER: Set for his first Latics league start since the opening day of the season.

KEVIN MAHER is poised for a return to central midfield when Athletic face Northampton at the Sixfields Stadium tomorrow.

Maher has not started a league game since the opening day of the season, but he will be handed a recall as Athletic target their first away win for over two months.

The 32-year-old may replace Danny Whitaker, who has already scored five goals this term but is now struggling with a knock.

Alternatively, Athletic could retain the three-man midfield which hauled them back from the brink at Cheltenham last week.

Maher played a starring role as they recovered from 2-0 down, and manager John Sheridan is hoping tomorrow’s game at Northampton will be the start of an improved run.

It has been a turbulent week at Boundary Park after the public war of words between Athletic’s management team and the club’s co-owner, Simon Corney.

Sheridan said: “The Cheltenham game might have been a little turning point for us because it was important to stay in the FA Cup.

“We need to start winning games again and get back into the top six. If we go and beat Northampton, everyone will cheer up a bit.

“I don’t know why people have been feeling down and out. We haven’t picked up enough points in the last few games, but we just need to get on with it.

“It hurts me more than anyone that we lost against Yeovil (in the last league match). I want to get out of this division and I hate it when we lose, but we have to move on.”

There has been no progress in Athletic’s quest for loan recruits – and it appears the recent in-house feud is not helping.

Sheridan said: “I’ve got a striker waiting to come in, but I don’t really know what’s going on at the moment. I’ve left it with other people and that’s all I want to say.”

In response, chief executive Alan Hardy, who deals with most transfers, said: “I’m waiting to hear from the manager regarding negotiations with his opposite number at the club concerned.”

Lee Hughes will return from suspension tomorrow and is set to go straight back into Athletic’s line-up.

ATHLETIC (from): Crossley, Hazell, Gregan, Stam, Lomax, Taylor, Allott, Whitaker, Jones, Smalley, Alessandra, Hughes, Maher, Eardley, Liddell, Lee, Stephens, Fleming.

NORTHAMPTON (from): Fielding, Crowe, Hughes, Dolman, Davis, Gilligan, Jackman, Dyer, Holt, McGleish, Hawley, Constantine, Guttridge, Bignall, Henderson, Jones, Taylor, Akinfenwa, Dunn.