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'We must keep winning'

Gavin Browne
18/ 2/2008

JOHN Sheridan believes his Oldham Athletic side have to record a run of victories if they are to catch League One's top six.

Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Yeovil Town at Boundary Park was their third consecutive home win, putting them within six points of sixth-placed Walsall and with a game in hand.

The win was their second in three games after Sheridan had said his side would require 11 from their last 18 matches to reach the play-offs.

With Athletic now sat in 10th place with 43 points from 31 matches, wins are becoming more important than the style in which they are achieved.

Sheridan said: "It's not about performances now. I've made it clear how many wins we need, we've caught up one or two teams and moved up a couple of places in the table.

"We want to try and win two, three or four games if we can and push the people above us into thinking that we're going to catch them. However, we've got to concentrate on ourselves and win as many games as we can.

"Sometimes it might look ugly but sometimes you have to have performances like that. I want to pass and move all day long but I thought it was a steady performance, one that if you did eight or nine times out of 10, then you'd get a result.

"Nottingham Forest aren't one of the best footballing teams, but they're certainly one of the best organised, and Carlisle United are just like that at home which is something we must learn.

"I want to play football but sometimes, to get results, you have to do ugly things that are effective and help you get a result."

The target Sheridan has set his players would be a stiff one for most teams, but made all the more difficult given the list of injuries at Boundary Park.

Sean Gregan, Andy Liddell, Lee Hughes, JP Kalala and John Thompson have all been missing, especially Gregan and Liddell who have been absent for a fair chunk of the season.

While Sheridan believes their returns will give the squad a much needed boost, it has allowed the likes of Lewis Alessandra and Deane Smalley a run in the first team. Alessandra has impressed, particularly in the last three home games, with a goal the only thing missing from his performances.

Sheridan said: "He's done well since he’s come in but I'd like him to score; I like all my strikers to score because it brings confidence into their game.

"He's got loads to learn but he keeps hold of the ball for us and he's dangerous in the penalty area because he's got quick feet and can do things others can't. He's making a spot for himself and he'll be hard to leave out."