No Fane academy for non-league hits

COMBATIVE . . . Ousmane Fane, pictured in action at Bradford, has been schooled thanks partly to hard knocks

THE hothouse of non-league is proving a valuable resource in Athletic's scouring for talent.

At the more experienced end of the spectrum to have learned their trade extensively outside the Football League are Ollie Banks (Stalybridge, FC United and others), Josh Law (Alfreton) and Paul Green (Doncaster).

And in terms of less seasoned players stand ex-Grays Athletic and Margate man Freddie Ladapo, former Stalybridge prospect Darius Osei and Ousmane Fane, who shone in the Conference last season for Kidderminster.

It is that trio - with a collective age of 66 - who have added much-needed pace and physicality to Athletic's line-up recently.

All three of those youngsters are set to feature at Coventry's Ricoh Arena tomorrow, a world away from the less salubrious surroundings lower down the game's pyramid.

And for their manager Stephen Robinson, the less refined schooling can be far more suitable to Athletic's needs than potentially less seasoned talent stepping in from Premier League academies.

"You look at those three and they are men," said Robinson, who was without Fane through suspension and Ladapo due to illness against Chesterfield last week.

"Take boys from the Premier League academies and it takes a lot longer. They obviously have undoubted talent, but can they actually cope with the pace and energy of League One and the realism of crowds shouting at you and making mistakes?

"These boys are ahead in that, mentally - though maybe not technically or ability-wise at times.

"Their hunger is huge and when you get players from that level, they come with a burning desire to prove that they should be playing at this level.

"For me, it is a part of the club we are trying to enhance."

Robinson maintains that his side are not too far away from finding their feet in front of goal, after a first seven league games that produced four successful strikes.

ATTEMPTS

Interestingly, official statistics show that Athletic (48) have had more attempts on goal so far than the division's 17-goal leading scorers Scunthorpe (47).

However, only Swindon (13), Charlton (12) and Southend (12) have had fewer shots on target than Athletic (16), whose tally is matched by AFC Wimbledon and Port Vale.

For his part, Coventry boss Tony Mowbray believes his side's meagre three-goal tally will soon improve.

With no Adam Armstrong on board this season, the second-bottom Sky Blues have struggled to hit the net and have yet to win in the league.

Still, Mowbray trusts that his men have it in them to correct the situation.

"Our shots at goal figures are very similar to last year and yet the goals are way, way off to have scored 14, 15, 16 something like that at this stage when Armstrong had probably scored five or six already," he told the Coventry Telegraph.

"The conversion rate is way off and yet the number of chances we've created in every game has been very similar to last year."