Reasons to be cheerful

OH, YES . . . Jonathan Forte celebrates his winner for Athletic

ATHLETIC’S players finally shook the monkey off their back by winning at home — but for manager John Sheridan at least, there was never an issue.

Second-half goals from Timothee Dieng and Jonathan Forte helped turn around a half-time deficit against Gillingham, putting an end to an unwanted run of 13 league games without a home victory.

The result lifts Athletic up a place to 22nd in the table. More importantly, it provides evidence that Sheridan’s team is capable of winning at home, ahead of another eight local fixtures in the battle against the drop.

“I am sure the players think about it, but I don’t bring it up,” said Sheridan about the relief of ending the barren run. “I just tell them to carry on the way we have been playing.

“It is only the second home game since I have been here and I feel we should have won the Bury game.

“But I am chuffed for the players. I like players being brave and we were. It was a show of character against a strong team. I was really pleased with the way they went about the game.”

A victory tomorrow at Peterborough could take Athletic to within a point of the Sky League One safety line, depending on Fleetwood’s result at Rochdale.

Sheridan, who hopes to have Mike Jones back in the reckoning soon, says he has never wavered in his belief he can extricate Athletic from their lowly position in the table.

“It’s a reason I came back,” said Sheridan, who heads to London Road on the back of a promising four-game unbeaten run. “I believe I can keep us in the division.”

Carl Winchester dropped out of the starting line-up against the Gills and Sheridan hinted he could make changes in accordance with the likely conditions tomorrow.