Sheridan: Time to kick-on

NEAL EARDLEY: Right-back role.

JOHN SHERIDAN wants Athletic’s Coca-Cola League One home game against Leyton Orient tomorrow to be the launchpad for a renewed push for promotion over the festive period.

The Athletic manager believes the fixtures against Leyton Orient and Carlisle at Boundary Park and the away game at Crewe can have a massive bearing on their campaign.

Sheridan explained: “The next three games are big ones and, when you look at the teams we are playing and, no disrespect to them, we ought to be looking for nine points. That would put us in a great position.

“It is an important time of the season and a great opportunity for us, especially as many of the top teams will be playing against each other.

“But I am also aware that our results against teams at the bottom are not the best. And in some ways I would be prefer to be playing one of the top teams.”

Athletic are looking to extend their unbeaten run in League One to six matches.

Sheridan continued: “We have picked up 11 points from a possible 15 but we have not played that well. I think there is definitely a lot more to come.”

Sheridan believes Athletic are as good as any team in League One on their day, but reckons Leyton Orient will pose a serious threat after posting some positive results against teams in the top half of the table.

Athletic will make one enforced change tomorrow, with Daniel Jones ruled out through the ankle ligament injury sustained at Peterborough United last weekend.

Kelvin Lomax will switch from right to left-back, with Neal Eardley taking over on the right side of defence.

Greg Fleming will continue in goal in the continued absence of Mark Crossley, who is suffering from a hamstring strain.

Leyton Orient, unbeaten in their last six league and cup games on the road, have left winger Jason Demetriou available again after completing a ban.

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

o CLUBS, including Athletic, voted to introduce a ‘home grown’ rule at an extraordinary general meeting of the Football League at Derby County’s Pride Park ground yesterday.

The new rule states that at least four of the 16 players in match-day squads must be registered at their clubs in England and Wales for three years before their 21st birthday.