Wes: Cup exploits can lift us

James Wesolowski (right)

ATHLETIC midfield general James Wesolowski is hoping to further embellish his unbeaten record against Huddersfield Town this weekend.

The 24-year-old midfielder has yet to finish on the losing side when pitted against the West Yorkshire outfit managed by Lee Clark.

The Australian played the full 90 minutes in the play-off final against Huddersfield last term, which Peterborough won 3-0 to gain promotion to the npower Championship.

And as one of the stand-out performers in the FA Cup defeat at Liverpool, Wesolowski believes that he and his Athletic team-mates can take heart to derail the Terriers' promotion push — and kick-start their own drive towards the play-off positions.

“Huddersfield will be a tough game for us,” said Wesolowski, who has a record of two wins and a pair of draws against Saturday’s opponents at the Galpharm Stadium.

“But I have always enjoyed playing them in my career.

“It is a big pitch and hopefully we can go there, play some good football and cause them problems.

“With games like Liverpool, it is important that we take out the positives.

“We will do that and go to the Galpharm Stadium looking to take three points, which we need in order to start moving up the league towards the play-off places, which is where we want to be.”

Athletic have themselves had the better of the last three meetings with Huddersfield under the management of Paul Dickov.

Earlier this season, a 1-1 at Boundary Park was earned thanks to Shefki Kuqi’s first goal for the club, adding to a win at the same venue and a goalless draw at the Galpharm Stadium last term.

However, Town displayed their credentials in the 6-0 win at Wycombe last week, which featured five goals from Jordan Rhodes, and have been beaten only once in the league at home this season, by Bournemouth.

Athletic are currently in 15th place and the weekend clash is one of only two league fixtures remaining in January — the other is Exeter at home on Saturday week — while the postponed game at Stevenage yet to be rearranged.

A return of six points would be the perfect tonic heading into a month of February featuring four home league fixtures against Leyton Orient, Walsall, Tranmere and Colchester.