Latics bow out of FA Cup

Jabo Ibehre takes aim at the Rovers goal.

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Athletic 0, Doncaster Rovers 1

PLENTY of the key ingredients were present — but the promise of a new FA Cup feast collapsed on a low-key afternoon as Paul Dickov enacted his revenge.

Two years ago, Athletic saw off Doncaster en route to the sensational 3-2 win over Liverpool in round four — Dickov’s greatest triumph in management and one that featured a goal from Reece Wabara.

Both men were present here at SportsDirect.com Park, this time emerging from within the visitors’ dressing room. And it was their Doncaster side who will spend tonight staring at television screens for the third-round draw, dreaming of landing a tie at such palaces of the game as Old Trafford, the Emirates or Anfield.

Athletic’s money-men, by contrast, will be examining the financial impact of a lack of progress. There’s a £27,000 prize for getting into round three, for starters.

Doncaster deserved this one. George Elokobi’s unfortunate own goal in the 86th minute separated the sides, but it was the visitors who had the game’s stand-out performers and the better-implemented game-plan.

Livewire attacking midfielder Kyle Bennett was the best player on the pitch, target man Curtis Main was a constant menace, Richie Wellens prompted and probed with the energy of a man a decade younger than his 34 years and a defence led by terrific on-loan stopper Andy Butler was physical and uncompromising.

Athletic were undone by a lack of imagination and energy. The full-backs failed to provide enough in the way of forward surges and though Daniel Johnson produced a couple of telling passes, Danny Philliskirk was successfully kept quiet.

There were too many blind alleys explored and safe options taken. It was as if the previous week’s 3-0 hammering of Rochdale hadn’t happened at all.

There were fewer Athletic fans in for this one than were at Spotland. A crowd of 3,242, featuring 452 making the trip from South Yorkshire, can hardly be branded as disappointing given the £20 admission price in the build-up to Christmas.

For comparison’s sake, take a short hop across the Pennines on the same afternoon and Huddersfield Town were charging £10 for their home clash with Brentford in the Championship.

It’s little use bemoaning low attendance figures like this one when a tie like this one isn’t discounted — as was the case at every other second-round fixture hosted by a League One club this weekend.

A sedate atmosphere was in keeping with a game which started brightly before sinking into a midfield-based morass.

Athletic had made three changes to the side that thumped Rochdale 3-0 the previous week, with Elokobi returning in defence in place of suspended James Wilson, Carl Winchester replacing norovirus victim Mike Jones and Jabo Ibehre back from his ban to step in for unfortunate fall guy Timothee Dieng.

Main saw his early effort deflect over the top and Bennett and Wabara both stung the palms of Paddy Kenny as Rovers held possession the better in the opening stages.

Kenny also had to be alert to rush off his line and claim a Main cross as Theo Robinson closed in, taking a whack for his troubles, and though Athletic worked their way back into the contest it was Wellens who had the best chance of the opening half.

Working a superb one-two with Main, the midfield man struck a side-footed shot which was too close to Kenny to trouble the on-loan goalkeeper in the 32nd minute.

Athletic had quick-fire attempts soon after to take the lead. First, Johnson found Jonathan Forte with a superb pass and the top scorer’s shot was well beaten away by Johnstone as he charged towards the striker’s feet.

As Philliskirk nodded the rebound back into the danger area, Jabo Ibehre’s turn was sharp, but his finish in launching the ball over the top wasteful.

Doncaster were content to sit deep and play on the counter-attack, a pattern that really came to the fore in the second half.

Elokobi couldn’t keep down his header from Johnson’s left-flank free-kick — another wasted half-chance — and Philliskirk saw two attempts near the hour mark foiled by Johnstone, who was never over-extended throughout.

As Athletic’s threat waned, so Doncaster took heart. A warning shot when Robinson forced a superb low stop from Kenny wasn’t heeded and loose play in possession led to Enda Stevens skirting in behind the defence down the left.

His cross was palmed away by a diving Kenny, only for the ball to rebound goalwards off Elokobi’s shins under pressure from ex-Athletic man Dean Furman.

Elokobi did his best to clear, but could only hammer into the roof of the net.

Forte’s deflected shot was pushed away by Johnstone, who was left rooted to the spot and looking on with relief when Kelly went so close to levelling.

Luck deserted Athletic on that occasion, but Dickov won’t care one bit.