Latics skipper demands seven points in next three games

SHINING LIGHT . . . Sean Gregan’s form has held up despite Athletic’s poor run of results.

PARK LIFE: ONE win in 11 games, two goals scored in seven matches and none in their last 272 minutes of football. The statistics are damning for Athletic at the moment.

The current slump, which serves to amplify the importance of the home game against Exeter City on Saturday, has taken manager Dave Penney's side on a sad journey from the fringes of the Coca-Cola League One play-offs to the very edge of the relegation zone.

The fixture list has not been kind to Athletic, handing the team a succession of sides flying high near the top of the table.

The latest defeat came at third-placed Norwich and the 2-0 margin would surely have been greater were it not for the steadying influence of Sean Gregan.

Athletic's captain — easily the club's player of the season so far — echoes his manager's sentiments on the crippling injury situation which has adversely affected the club.

"We would probably have struggled down at Norwich with our full 11," admitted Gregan, the only man to have taken part in every one of Athletic's league and cup matches this season.

"The disappointing and hard thing at the moment is that our main players are out. If you look at the team on Saturday there was only myself and Dean Furman who started the first game of the season.

"It is hard for everybody — supporters, players, the management. It is more frustrating than anything because if we had our full 11 we would give anybody a game and when we did, we were just outside of the play-offs.

"We know we are in a terrible run. But when we get the unfit players back we can match anyone in the division."

Gregan, now 35, is glad to be back to his best after suffering from a number of off-field problems last season.

But he admits that while his own form has been good, it has been difficult playing behind a team which has been ineffective in front of goal.

Athletic have scored only 15 times in 21 league games this season, the lowest tally in League One.

"It is frustrating because you never have anything to defend," Gregan added.

"Earlier on in the season we would nick a goal, like at Southend and Brighton, and it gives you something to hang on to.

"At the minute, we seem to be conceding early goals and it is difficult as you don't fancy us to get back in it.

"The whole team is thinking, 'well, we don't score a lot of goals' and it is a mental thing.

"It is difficult. But we have to keep going and working with what we have got.

"Personally, I have come back here and my form has been OK.

"I had off-field problems last year which were well-documented – family things – and that was hard and I lost my way a bit.

"But since the turn of last year and definitely this year my form has been fine.

"It is hard playing with a different partner every week and different left-backs, but I am experienced and you just have to deal with it."

After Exeter, Athletic play two of the division's bottom three clubs.

There is a visit to Wycombe on Saturday, December 19, before Tranmere play at Boundary Park a week later on Boxing Day.

And Gregan has his own target in mind for the three key games.

"With the injuries we had we weren't expected to get much recently and that is the way it has worked out," he added.

"Now the next three games are vital, really. We need to pick up at least seven points out of them as two of them are at home.

"Hopefully we can get one or two players back in that time and pick up some points which will get us away from the danger zone."