Johnson hails ‘satisfying’ three points

VICTORY SALUTE . . . Korey Smith and Athletic boss Lee Johnson.

CONCENTRATION was key as Athletic recorded a first away-day victory in Sky Bet League One since the opening day at Stevenage.

Rather than repeating that seven-goal thriller, this was a solid showing from Lee Johnson’s men who overcame the dismissal of Genseric Kusunga to keep a clean sheet – only the second of the league campaign.

“It is very satisfying,” said Athletic’s manager, who took three points back to Boundary Park thanks to a goal on debut from on-loan QPR winger Mike Petrasso.

“We are seeing the mistakes reducing and that is very important in this division, minimising those mistakes.

“Players generally are in this division because they can’t concentrate for 90 minutes. When they can, and when you have the attacking threat we have got, then you can do all right.”

Kusunga was dismissed for violent conduct in the 86th minute after appearing to grab at the throat of Danny Kedwell, who had hammered him into the advertising hoardings near the dug-outs.

Kedwell was only shown a yellow card, but despite the commotion that followed, Athletic kept their collective heads.

“This was a game that always going to be difficult. And from 20 minutes to 65 minutes, I thought we were superb. We bossed it and I thank the boys for that. That was my personality in that period and we were solid throughout.”

Johnson was also predictably delighted with goal scorer Petrasso, who only met up with his new team-mates on the day before the game at Priestfield.

He added: “He (Petrasso) has been performing very well in the under-21 league and we've been tracking him for a while. He did well.

“It was a tough ask for him to come in after two days and go straight into it. He scored a goal and he’ll be able to phone home to his parents in Canada. They’ll be proud of him.”