The Latics came from behind to crush Notts County 5-1 on Tuesday night in the northern quarter-final of the JPT. Manager Lee Johnson was impressed with the fighting spirit of his young charges.
Johnson said, “Our balance was slightly off and we kept losing the ball, which was disappointing, but once we scored I thought we were dominant. There were lots of positives to focus on, and lots of goals. I was pleased for Jonson Clarke-Harris to get his goal. He was brave getting into scoring areas. But what I particularly enjoyed was the fact that our efforts were controlled — we weren’t just blazing it."
"I’ve been watching Manchester City and Barcelona. They shape up to shoot and then when everybody spreads they just lay it off to someone who shoots. We scored two or three like that so I was really pleased. You have to be relentless, too, and keep the hammer down when you’re on top, but there was good character as well. There was a point when the fans were getting frustrated and sometimes the lads can go into their shells in that situation. But they didn’t last night, although I’d like a big win in the league.”
Regarding the draw for the semi-finals Johnson joked, “We’ll have another tear-up with Rotherham eh?”