Clarke hints at Latics stay

DEAN FURMAN: scored for the reserves last night.

Athletic’s on-loan centre-back Nathan Clarke could be open to the possibility of staying at the club once his loan period reaches an end.

On-form Clarke (27) has been a solid, composed presence alongside Zander Diamond in the heart of defence lately and manager Paul Dickov would want him to remain at Boundary Park should his form continue at the same level.

For now, though, the Huddersfield Town man is focusing on maintaining his place in the side, with competition for defensive places having hotted up with the return to fitness of Jean-Yves Mvoto following his ankle injury.

“I have still got a couple of months to run and I am just concentrating on keeping my position in the team, being positive with that and just seeing what comes,” said Clarke, whose loan spell runs out in January.

The Halifax-born player, who had a spell at Colchester last season, has a contract at the Galpharm Stadium which expires in the summer of 2012.

While Clarke is set to keep his place for the game at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, captain Dean Furman gave his manager something to think about with a goalscoring return for the reserves last night.

Furman, back from knee surgery, made a brief substitute appearance in the 2-1 home win over MK Dons on Monday.

But with midfield duo James Wesolowski and Tom Adeyemi both performing well in that game, it may be that the former Chelsea and Rangers man has to bide his time before claiming a first start since early August.

Despite Furman’s strike, which came following good work from Matt Smith and Ryan Brooke, Athletic’s second team lost 4-1 at Morecambe in last night’s Central League, West Division encounter.

Former Athletic player Lewis Alessandra opened the scoring for the Shrimps and Michael King followed up Furman’s equaliser to hand Morecambe a half-time lead.

Dan Parkinson hit a third and Alessandra doubled his tally late on in a game in which Athletic hit the crossbar on four occasions.


ASH Taylor scored the only goal for weekend opponents Tranmere as they won 1-0 at Accrington last night in a replayed Johnstone’s Paint Trophy second-round clash.
The victory takes Les Parry’s men through to a Northern section quarter-final at Chesterfield.