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CHRIS TAYLOR: slotting home from the penalty spot

“There’s more to come from me and the team, says Taylor

CHRIS TAYLOR has warned Athletic’s rivals in League One: ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’.

The 22-year-old scored from the spot in the 2-2 draw with Colchester United at Boundary Park after starting in a new striking role alongside Nick Blackman.

It was Taylor’s first of a season plagued by injury and ill-health and it sparked an excellent second-half comeback from Athletic, who recovered to take a point after finding themselves two goals down.

With an away trip in store at Walsall tomorrow night, Taylor believes that both his personal fortunes and those of Athletic are on the rise.

“I am getting there,” he said. “I have probably played more games than training sessions this season, which is not ideal.

“I am training week-in week-out now, touch wood. I did a full week of training last week and you feel the effects of that. I feel fitter and stronger.

“So hopefully there will be more to come from me and the rest of the team too.”

Athletic laid siege to the Colchester goal following former Athletic man Marc Tierney’s second yellow card just before the hour mark.

And, despite collecting a draw from an unlikely position thanks to Ryan Brooke’s headed equaliser two minutes from time, Taylor felt that Athletic should have had all three points.

“I was disappointed we didn’t win the game,” he added.

“At two goals down you can’t really grumble at taking a point. But the majority of the play before they went down to 10 men was ours.

“It seemed like they had two or three shots all game. They came to frustrate, they came to harass us and we have had so many efforts on goal yet they got a 2-2 draw.

“It is frustrating as we more than deserved the win.”

Despite a poor crowd of 3,607 — the lowest league gate of the season at Boundary Park — Taylor was also pleased to hear the noise levels rise as Athletic fought their way back into the game.

“It is always nice to get the crowd going,” he said. “It gets me going too and I’m sure it is the same for the rest of the players.

“It is never good when you go one or two down and hear the moans and groans.

“You have to keep playing and believing and I always thought we were in the game, even at two down.

“Once the fans got behind us it told. We created so many chances.

“At the end of the day we take a point but I think it should have been three.”

Dean Furman will come back into manager Dave Penney’s squad to travel to Walsall after missing the Colchester game through suspension.