Eye for goal

CHARLIE MacDonald has already provided Athletic with a telling indication of his appetite for goals.

An experienced operator in League One, MacDonald celebrated signing an initial 12-month deal with Athletic by striking home a smart left-footed drive from the edge of the penalty area in the 2-2 draw with Dinamo Bucharest.

“Charlie was a bloke among a lot of young lads, but even in one half he showed what an eye he’s got for goal,” said Johnson - on a player who has scored 125 goals in 393 games.

“His finishing last week leading up to when he signed for us was unbelievable at times — better than what I thought it would be, to be honest. It was no surprise to see him take his chance like he did.”

Athletic’s performance was a positive one, with Jonson Clarke-Harris and Cristian Montano standing out in a friendly preceding tomorrow’s three-day visit to Altcar Training Camp, near Southport, for Army-style physical challenges.

The Romanian outfit was three weeks into a pre-season programme, compared to Athletic’s five days. Johnson says the work already done on the training ground was successfully translated into Friday’s game.

“Dinamo Bucharest are a top side and they’re well ahead of us with their pre-season schedule, so I was pleased with everyone, especially the first half side,” said Johnson, who fielded two separate XIs at Leigh Sports Village.

“Even stuff we’d only been working on for three or four days since returning to training was coming off.

“Their manager said after the game what a good side he thought we had, and that’s nice, but it was good to see the lads so sharp – it’s all good at the moment.”

MacDonald, whose contract has the option for an extension, was every bit as positive.

“To go in against a team of that calibre and do so well against them was really encouraging for everyone,” said the striker (32).