Taylor’s fitness boost for Latics

Chris Taylor (right): Came through training yesterday.

ATHLETIC manager Dave Penney isn’t likely to change a thing if he can help it for tonight’s big game at Leeds – save, of course, from his strikers finding the back of the net.

The visitors to Elland Road are on the hunt for a third successive Coca-Cola League One victory at the ground on which Chris Taylor – who will play tonight despite getting a bang on his sore hip at the weekend – scored twice last season.

One win in eight league games is not the record you would expect from a Leeds side going for promotion.

But Penney isn’t worried about any potential backlash and is simply hoping that the performance level stays the same as was on show at Colchester, only with a different end result.

“On the way back you have a think about it and we would probably have been disappointed with a draw, the way we played,” said Penney, referring to the 1-0 defeat at the Weston Homes Community Stadium in which striker Jason Price went closest for Athletic.

“We have watched it again and we made some clear-cut chances that we should have done better with.

“We hit the target and Pricey had a couple that hit the post and crossbar, while Pawel (Abbott) had two or three good chances that the ‘keeper saved.

“With better finishing we would win that game by two or three goals, so were were disappointed not to get anything. But eventually, performances should reap rewards.

“It was always going to be a difficult week with Colchester in third, Leeds second and Norwich who are top.

“But we set our stall out at Colchester and this is a different game in which we start afresh.”

Penney names an unchanged squad after Taylor came through yesterday’s session unscathed.

“He trained on Monday so should be okay and will be involved,” said the Athletic boss, who confirmed that Danny Whitaker (flu) and Jim Goodwin (thigh strain) will be missing once again tonight.

Athletic (probable): Brill; Marrow, Gregan, Hazell, Jacobson; Smalley, Furman, Stephens, Taylor; Price, Abbott. Subs: Flahavan, Aljofree, Lomax, Lee, Colbeck, Parker, Brooke.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson could ring the changes for tonight’s game with Max Gradel, Luciano Becchio and Robert Snodgrass all pushing for starting spots after impressing from the bench in the 1-1 draw with Brighton at the weekend.

Left-back Ben Parker and striker Tresor Kandol are both back in training following injury but tonight’s game may have come too soon for the pair to be involved.