Smalley making up for lost time

ACTION MAN . . . Deane Smalley has been a key player for Dave Penney since his return.

PARK LIFE: DEANE Smalley hailed his performance against Exeter as the best he has produced this season.

Hit by bad luck during the early stages of the campaign, the 21-year-old prospect has become an important figure in manager Dave Penney's side.

Smalley has operated on the right wing and as a centre-forward since making an unexpected return from a back injury against Huddersfield at the start of November, and insists that fans have not seen the best of him yet.

But it was the promising partnership with on-loan striker Paul Heffernan which helped bring about a neatly-taken first goal of the season for the youth team product in the 2-0 win at Boundary Park on Saturday.

"I am just glad to be on the scoresheet again and for it to be a good goal makes me more than happy," said Smalley, who has also had to contend with a groin strain which restricted his pre-season and salmonella food poisoning which put him in a hospital bed for five days.

"The team put in a good performance and I think we deserved the win,” he added.

"Dean Furman played the perfect weight of pass to me and I knew I was going to hit it first time. I hoped it would go in the corner and it did.

"I think it is the best I have performed since I have come back from injury.

"Since I came back I have not been happy with the way I have been playing.

"But hopefully, I can start being more consistent and get more goals for the team."

Smalley also paid tribute to Athletic's efforts against Exeter at the opposite end of the field, with captain Sean Gregan again immense in marshalling the defence to a first clean sheet at home since the goalless draw with Yeovil in early October.

"Everyone knows how he is and how he plays," said Smalley of his skipper. "Without Gregs we haven't got that massive guy at the back.

"He gets all the team going, even in the dressing room before the game, and we really need him."