Spireites move for Latics duo

KELVIN Lomax and Deane Smalley were expected to tie up loan moves to Chesterfield today.

The out-of-favour pair — full-back Lomax is on the transfer list, while winger Smalley has just finished a month at Rochdale — will join up with their old Athletic boss John Sheridan at Chesterfield if and when the deals are officially completed.

The Spireites sit proudly at the top of npower League Two and have lost only once all season, scoring 22 goals in seven home matches at their new B2net Stadium.

Other former Athletic men plying their trade at Chesterfield are midfielder Danny Whitaker and striker Craig Davies, who has nine goals in only 12 league matches so far this season.

And Sheridan feels that the duo will be useful additions as he bids to maintain a promotion charge.

“They will add strength in depth to the squad,” said the Chesterfield manager, after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Stevenage.

“Kelvin Lomax is a full-back who can play both sides and Deane Smalley who is a forward who I rate highly. They aren’t playing for Oldham at the moment but they both played regularly when I was there.”

The impending moves cap a busy period of ins and outs at Boundary Park.

Rob Purdie, who has never played a first-team match for Athletic since signing in the summer of last year, scored twice on his Hereford debut in a 5-0 thrashing of Stockport after rejoining his former employers on a three-month loan.

Teenage central defender Rod McDonald has joined Blue Square North outfit Stafford Rangers for a month and Josh Ollerenshaw has signed for Mossley on the same basis.

Coming in, Portuguese winger Filipe Morais made his debut off the bench for Athletic in the 4-2 win over Plymouth, setting up Oumare Tounkara’s headed equaliser in the second half and impressing manager Paul Dickov despite blazing over an open-goal chance.

“His finishing in training has been excellent and the one chance he had, we wouldn’t have wanted anybody else sitting there,” said Dickov, who turns 38 today.

“He is a little bit leggy at the minute, because he has not had games. But he will be a big player for us and we are delighted with him.”

The loan spell of Arsenal left-back Cedric Evina expires after tomorrow’s game at Rochdale and Athletic will seek to extend the arrangement with the approval of the Premier League outfit.

ATHLETIC have sold around 3,000 tickets for tomorrow night’s game at Rochdale.

The full allocation is 3,200 and fans wishing to attend the game at Spotland are advised to get hold of their tickets as quickly as possible.

The Boundary Park office will be open until 5pm tomorrow to sell tickets to the game.