At times we were fantastic - Dickov

YOU DID US PROUD . . . Athletic boss Paul Dickov applauds the fans.

IN GETTING both wingers and Jose Baxter dominating the contest in the second half, Athletic manager Paul Dickov felt they made all the difference in helping his side reach the third round of the FA Cup.

The pressure was on, with everyone at the club fully aware of the need to keep the season alive with a victory over the current form team in npower League One.

Rovers had seen off Athletic 1-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium in midweek. But after going a goal behind to Robbie Blake’s early strike, there was no looking back after Reece Wabara headed home a deserved equaliser just before half-time.

“It was the way we did it, especially in the second half, by passing the ball,” said Dickov, commenting on the stylish victory, achieved with two smart strikes from Matt Derbyshire.

“Our attacking play at times was fantastic and if you look at the third goal, that shows everybody what a good performance it was.

“Reece Wabara slipped for their goal and you can’t legislate for that. It led to them scoring early and it knocked the stuffing out of us for 10 or 15 minutes.

“But we work a lot on our passing game and when we got the wingers and Jose Baxter involved it caused them all sorts of problems. Second half, the boys were magnificent.”

While there were early grumbles resonating around Boundary Park, Dickov felt the home crowd reflected his side’s upbeat efforts.

“The fans were fantastic,” he added. “The energy they showed got the fans onside and it was really pleasing to get the performance and the result.”