Furman confidence high

MIDFIELDER Dean Furman is having a whale of a time with Athletic — despite his personal fortunes taking a dip in midweek.

The former Chelsea, Glasgow Rangers and Bradford City player didn't manage to live up to his own high standards set this season as Athletic played out a 1-1 draw at Walsall.

That result left players, staff and fans with mixed emotions. While a side with play-off ambitions should by rights be taking three points from the bottom club in npower League One, football is never as straightforward as that — and had the Saddlers made their chances count, Paul Dickov's men could have left empty-handed.

As it is, an Athletic team who have suffered just one defeat in five are still right on the cusp of the top-six.

And a couple of wins from the next three games — starting with Carlisle away on Saturday, and followed up by home games against Hartlepool and Dagenham within the following seven days after that — should leave the team well-placed.

"We were disappointed, after taking the lead once again, to be pulled back," said Furman, after a game at the Banks's Stadium in which Filipe Morais bagged his second goal in as many games for the club.

"Walsall are scrapping for their lives and this will be a difficult place for teams to come to.

"They threw a lot of balls into our box and in the first half we felt we defended poorly, but attacked well.

"And in the second half we attacked poorly, but defended well.

"So to come out with a point may not be the worst result in the world.

"It keeps our little unbeaten run going and we feel we can continue with that.

"I am disappointed with the way I played at Walsall. I guess you can't play well every game and I am looking to put it right against Carlisle.

"But overall, I am loving the season so far.

"It is great to be in a team that wants to play football. When we have got the ball we work as hard as when we don't have it and that suits my game.

"We are confident among ourselves. There are a lot of big teams in this league, but we have a tight-knit group here and we work hard for one another.

"We are picking up points and staying in the mix at just over the halfway point in the season.

"There are a lot of games to come and it is going to take a big effort from the whole squad.

"But we are quietly confident we can pick up points to have a real go at it.”

Last season, Furman was part of the Athletic side which gained a crucial 2-1 win at Brunton Park — a victory which ultimately saved the club's League One skins.

"It is a difficult place to go to," he added. "We went there last season, in different circumstances to this one, and won.

"We needed points then and this time we need them for different reasons.

"Now we are pushing up the league while last time we were trying to survive.

"They have been on a good run themselves recently, but we go there full of confidence and looking to take three points."