JCH looking OK, says LJ

POWER PLAY . . . Jonson Clarke-Harris impresses against Port Vale.

THE extra physical strength of Jonson Clarke-Harris and a slight groin injury for Jose Baxter prompted home manager Lee Johnson’s change to the forward line which proved successful for Athletic.

Latics scored three times to see off Port Vale, whose former Boundary Park favourite Lee Hughes saw his penalty saved by Mark Oxley in the first half of an absorbing contest.

“Jose Baxter is a great player and a big part of our plans and our squad. He had a slight sore groin. I felt last week (at Peterborough) it was limiting his mobility.

“Jonno Clarke-Harris hadn’t trained much, but against a big side I felt we needed another big one in there. He did very well. We will work on his centre-forward play and when we do that, he could be some player.”

On Athletic’s overall performance, Johnson was glad to have got the better of awkward opponents who fashioned plenty of chances.

“I am delighted with the win,” Johnson added. “We have been talking all week about being winners and out there to a man, they were that.

“They stood up to what was a difficult game and they (Vale) ploughed every throw-in into the box – and not just the penalty area, the six-yard box. It isn’t easy to play against that, but eventually we ground them down.”