Poacher Lee is simply the best

MASTER MARKSMAN . . . Lee Hughes receives his Athletic player of the month award from Mike Flanagan, manager of sponsors Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre.

TONY BUGBY’S weekly look behind the scenes at Boundary Park

JOHN Sheridan has hailed fox in the box Lee Hughes as the best striker in Coca-Cola League One.

The Athletic manager also believes the club’s young forwards can learn by studying the way the 11-goal front man plays.

The 32-year-old Hughes has appeared in the Premier League for West Brom and Sheridan said: “Lee is an intelligent player in the penalty box. I would say there is nobody better in our division and probably elsewhere in the Football League.

“He is instinctive and knows what to do. He doesn’t take a big swing at the ball and simply tries to get it on target.

“If he does that, as he invariably does, he always has a chance of scoring.”

Hughes scored twice at Peterborough with typical goal-poaching efforts and Sheridan says his predatory instinct reminds him of his former Republic of Ireland team-mate John Aldridge, who was renowned as a goal machine.

Sheridan added: “I hope our young players look at what Lee does, both in training and in games, as they can learn a lot from him.

“They should look at how he has scored his goals of late. He is intelligent in and around the penalty area.”

The Athletic manager is hoping Hughes can coax a goal out of loan-signing Darren Byfield, who has just begun a second month at Boundary Park.

Byfield has yet to find the net during his spell with Athletic, but Sheridan believes the 32-year-old will soon end his scoring drought.

He said: “We have not seen the best of Darren and there is a lot more to come from him.

“I don’t know the way he has played for Doncaster but I want him to play further forward on the last man.

“And because he has pace, I am sure he will cause problems for opposing defences.

“Darren is a nice lad who has settled in well. He is enjoying his time with us and has been a plus.

“All he needs is a goal and, once he gets one, I am sure there will be more to come.”