Johnson vows to find key

Oldam Athletic manager Lee Johnson shows his frustration during the Sky Bet League One game between Crawley Town and Oldham Athletic at the Checkatrade Stadium, Crawley on Sat Sept 28, 2013

MANAGER Lee Johnson is working hard to groom wins out of his Athletic players after a disappointing start to the season.

Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Crawley – during which Athletic spurned at least four gilt-edged chances – was Athletic’s sixth in nine league games.

Johnson’s young charges have earned praise from many quarters this term for a clutch of enterprising performances, but that hasn’t been enough: the team languishes in 16th place.

Johnson said: “Playing in fits and starts isn’t enough, and educated football people are starting to read the script now. Some teams in our division might be able to buy wins, but we can’t. I’m trying my best to groom wins out of these young players.

‘I’ve not been disappointed with the way we’ve played this season, but we could probably do with a bit of luck as well. A couple of wins will make such a difference to how things look. We’ll continue to dig deep and that belief will come flooding back.”

Johnson is running the rule over trialists this week, but is reluctant to name them.

It is also too early to say whether front man Cristian Montano will return for this weekend’s exciting home clash against table-topping Leyton Orient.

Montano has missed the last two games after undergoing surgery to drain a painful cyst.