First home win was a tall order

ATHLETIC may have lost their bearings for a short time, but ultimately a second foray into the land of the giants proved successful at the weekend.

After Stevenage — beaten 4-3 at the Lamex Stadium on the opening day — manager Lee Johnson

reckons Port Vale is the most physically imposing team in Sky Bet League One.

Coming to Boundary Park with the intention of attacking down the wings, the potent force of Tom Pope and Lee Hughes put Athletic through a sticky first-half in which they equalised and then saw Hughes’ penalty saved by Mark Oxley.

Johnson felt the key to playing David to the visitors’ Goliath was to get back to a passing game to dent their morale — which was exactly what the team managed in a second half, which energised the home supporters in a crowd of 4,788.

“I was trying to say to the lads to just play it out from the back so we could get it back again,” said Johnson.

“They were massive — other than Stevenage, probably the biggest team in this division, so I am really proud of the way the lads came through what was a must-win game for us.

“There were a lot of good performances. The midfield two (James Wesolowski and Korey Smith) worked their socks off, James Dayton did too and tracked back defensively as well, which was important as their left-back (Daniel Jones) likes to bomb on.

“With a team like that and the way they play, you have to kill their spirit. I have played in a side that plays in that style, and have seen it close-up, when my dad was assistant manager at Cambridge United.

“I knew if we could just keep going that our boys would be fitter and sharper.”