Ritchie happy to do the hard yards

RITCHIE JONES . . . effective combination with Kieran Lee.

IT TOOK a keen eye for detail to spot the effect Ritchie Jones had on Athletic's opening npower League One win of the season.

The midfielder, operating wide on the right, played second fiddle to lively left winger Lewis Alessandra when it came to providing impetus going forward.

Up against a left-back in Aaron Cresswell who sought to join the home attack at every opportunity, the former Manchester United trainee did much of his work with his back to the opposition goal.

It meant he couldn't showcase he skills in the way he managed to in the subsequent Carling Cup-tie at Scunthorpe.

But the 23-year-old's efforts certainly weren't ignored by his own bench — particularly given manager Paul Dickov's constant emphasis on working for the benefit of the team.
"Pre-season, Ritchie has been great," said Dickov of a player he faced stiff competition to sign, with Championship club Millwall said to be among the suitors following Jones' release by Hartlepool.

"On Saturday, purely because of the way Tranmere played, he couldn't get forward the way he normally can.

"But whether other people have noticed it or not, the defensive work he put in was fantastic.

"We are not going to get big performances out of every player, every week.

"But it goes back to what I said when I took over. If we can get everybody working hard, doing their job for the team, that is fantastic.

"Ritchie did that at Tranmere. I know going forward he was stifled but as a coaching staff, the unselfish work he did going the other way is so obvious to see, especially looking at it again on the DVD."