Let’s get physical!

The Latics star writes every week for Chron Sport

WITH no Matt Smith or Chris Iwelumo in the team of late, the manager has asked me to provide a physical outlet for the team — and I am loving every minute of it.

I have picked up eight bookings and that means I am close to a suspension.

But being back in the team and injury-free, providing that target is something I am more than willing to do.

The cut-off date for suspensions means I have three more games in which to avoid getting two more yellow cards. But I will stay as committed as I have been, as it isn’t my style to pull out of challenges. I wouldn’t expect anyone to.

I doubt many people gave us a chance of getting anything against Swindon on Good Friday.

But apart from the opening, when they came at us strongly, it was probably one of the best away performances we have put in all season.

We went to Colchester fancying our chances of a result to pull us away from the bottom-four.

But Dean Bouzanis made the mistake for the goal and we went into our shell. Instead of thinking about three points, we were nervous we might not get one.

The manager gave an excellent half-time speech and asked us to lift our team-mate Dean out of trouble. We did.

We got an equaliser and after dominating the second half could easily have won the game.

We can’t be too downcast about the draw; the result still lifted us out of the relegation zone.

This weekend we’re against a Carlisle side also not completely out of danger.

We have shown that we can take a lead and dominate: that sort of strength of character will be needed — and maintained.