Johnson’s search for spark

spot-kick CALL: Walsall defender Adam Chambers appears to block Cristian Montano’s shot with his arm, but referee Gary Dutton waved away Athletic’s appeals for a penalty.

ALL avenues will be explored in Athletic’s quest to rediscover their spirit ahead of Saturday’s Peterborough test . . . including a spot of old-fashioned team bonding.

Manager Lee Johnson’s tongue was in his cheek when he suggested a night on the tiles may be what is needed to boost energy levels in a squad that appeared a little jaded during the 1-0 home loss to Walsall at Boundary Park.

Johnson knows he will have to work some sort of magic behind the scenes this week — not least in the loan market, with a replacement centre-back needed for injured David Mellor.

Relegated last year, Peterborough are currently second in the embryonic Sky Bet League One table after winning 4-2 at Notts County on Saturday.

A performance of a similar standing to that which Athletic put in on Saturday will not be enough to win against one of the favourites for promotion.

“What is it? Do you need to run, play more football, less football, have a team day out, go out on the lash, have a fight?” said the manager, who watched his men fail to hit the net at home for the second “The effort wasn’t bad. In the second half we had a go, but it didn’t quite just fall for us.

“We have to turn it round quickly now. We don’t want two losses on the spin turning into fours and fives.”

Johnson said last week he has a list of players primed to come into the club to cover injuries and contact is now likely to be made to cover the hamstring-injury absence of David Mellor.

““I don’t think he has torn it, but we will have to see. It could be two days, it could be three weeks.”

Jonson Clarke-Harris missed the Walsall game with an ankle problem and remains highly doubtful for the fixture at Peterborough, his former club.