The Gilbert dossier

IF ATHLETIC are looking for an insider’s guide to tomorrow’s Coca-Cola League One opponents Leyton Orient, nobody is better qualified than Peter Gilbert.

The left-back spent part of pre-season with the Os and featured in their 6-1 friendly win against Newcastle United.

It was a victory which left 26-year-old Gilbert with mixed feelings as he was once on the books at St James’ Park.

Gilbert, who is on a week-to-week contract with Athletic, said: “I enjoyed my short time at Leyton Orient and to beat Newcastle by that scoreline was unexpected.

“It was a weird experience, especially as I was with Newcastle as a schoolboy, but it was a great opportunity to play against them.”

However Gilbert, who was born in Newcastle, says that win is very much consigned to the past and his priority now is to perform well for Athletic.

He said: “I have forgotten about Leyton Orient. It is all about Oldham and getting our first win of the season.

“We need a win to lift our confidence and to get the season rolling, because we were frustrated by Stockport County and disappointed by our Carling Cup defeat at Carlisle.”

It won’t be easy for Athletic as the Os, who were written off by the pundits in pre-season, have made a flying start to the new campaign.

The victory against troubled Newcastle proved a tremendous spur for Geraint Williams’ troops, who have gone on to win their first two competitive games, both away from home.

They kicked off with a 2-1 defeat of Bristol Rovers and followed up with a success by the same scoreline at Colchester United in the Carling Cup. Days earlier Colchester had thumped Norwich City 7-1 at Carrow Road.

The Os are also continuing where they left off last season.

When Williams was appointed manager in February, the threat of relegation loomed large.

But a highly impressive run of seven victories and a draw from nine league matches — they beat Athletic 2-1 in that spell — banished those fears.

Compared with many other clubs in League One, it has been a summer of minimal change at Brisbane Road.

Of the five new signings Scott McGleish (Wycombe) and Jimmy Smith (Chelsea) both spent the latter part of last season on loan with the Os.

They have been joined by former Ipswich, Leicester and Crystal Palace striker James Scowcroft, Romanian frontman Adrian Patulea, who was at League Two side Lincoln City in 2008/09, and former Arsenal midfielder Ben Chorley from Tranmere Rovers.

Only two players have left, one of whom was striker Adam Boyd. He was sold to Hartlepool for £80,000.

Gilbert was impressed with what he saw of the Os in pre-season.

He said: “They are a good footballing team who like to pass the ball. They have some technically very good players and we will have to be at our best to compete with them.

“Obviously James Scowcroft has a lot of experience in the Championship, while Jimmy Smith had a spell with us at Sheffield Wednesday last season when he was on loan from Chelsea.

“He scored against Newcastle and also in the win at Bristol Rovers, so he is a danger from midfield.”

Athletic will be following in the footsteps of the famous tomorrow.

Brisbane Road played host to an international friendly on Wednesday between Ghana and Zambia, which featured the likes of Chelsea’s Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, of Inter Milan.




FIXTURES



TOMORROW: Brentford v Brighton, Colchester v Yeovil, Exeter v Norwich, Hartlepool v Charlton, Huddersfield v Southampton, Leyton Orient v Athletic, Millwall v Carlisle, Stockport v Bristol Rovers, Swindon v MK Dons, Tranmere v Gillingham, Walsall v Southend, Wycombe v Leeds.