Latics hitting top gear

Photo: Alan Howarth

HEADING FOR A FALL . . . Athletic striker Adam Rooney goes down in the penalty area under a challenge from Carlisle’s Sean O’Hanlon. Rooney fired home the resulting spot-kick.

MATCH-WINNER Adam Rooney believes Athletic are starting to motor.

The striker, who slotted home the spot-kick which saw off Carlisle at Boundary Park, dismissed any suggestion the award was dubious.

“The referee (Mark Heywood) asked me afterwards if it was the right decision. I told him it was,” Rooney said.

“I anticipated the flick, Sean O’Hanlon came in and I saw him swing. I nicked it off his toe and he kicked the back of my leg. I am not one to go down like that otherwise. It is a penalty.”

Rooney, who now has four for the season, aims to hit the goals trail again tomorrow when Athletic travel to third-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He says there is plenty to look forward to, not only at Wolves but elsewhere in a run of four matches in 11 days.

“Our target is to build on this now,” said Rooney. “We said after Leyton Orient and Preston we felt we had turned a bit of a corner in terms of the belief within the group.

“We are gelling better and the gaffer has done a lot of good work over the last few weeks in terms of phases of play and transition from attack to defence. It is starting to pay off.”

After Wolves at Molineux tomorrow, Athletic are at home to Swindon, the club Rooney spent last season on loan at, on Saturday. Then it is on to Notts County in the rearranged Sky Bet League One clash on October 29, before Athletic travel to Bristol City on November 2.

It remains to be seen how many of those games Charlie MacDonald will be involved in: the striker lasted only 15 minutes before hobbling off with an ankle injury against Carlisle.
mattchambers@oldham-chronicle.co.uk