Nearly there!

Matt Smith celebrates his goal

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Lad beats dad as Latics head for safety

RELIEVED Lee Johnson isn’t quite counting his chickens yet.

But Athletic’s manager says the three points won against Yeovil have given his men “a great chance” of survival in npower League One.

Johnson jnr won the battle of lad-versus-dad at Boundary Park thanks to Matt Smith’s only goal of the game at the end of the first half.

It was a stirring performance from the home team - and one that will leave Lee’s father Gary the downhearted one at this evening’s family get-together.

“I didn’t think about him once as a dad,” said Lee, who embraced Gary at the final whistle following the first fixture in 42 years to pit manager father against manager son.

“I am so pleased with the result, because we didn’t half work hard. When you play Yeovil you have to make sure you match their workrate. We did that and shut them out. They didn’t have an answer; Matt Smith was fantastic.

“We have still got three very important games. If we show the same desire and willingness we will be okay. We have a great chance of staying up.”

Lee was full of praise for several players, not least Lee Croft and centre-back Glenn Belezika, the latter making a full debut in the absence of injured James Tarkowski and Cliff Byrne.

“Glenn did fantastically well,” Johnson added. “He has had only four weeks to get into my mindset. We had to do it and he deserves it.”

Tarkowski will be out for the season after suffering knee ligament damage, Johnson revealed.

Meanwhile Scunthorpe’s 2-1 loss at Bury, coupled with a 2-0 home defeat for Colchester by MK Dons, pushes Athletic up to 19th place, five points clear of the Iron.


mattchambers@oldham-chronicle.co.uk