Depleted Latics hammered by Preston

TOUGH AFTERNOON: Athletic's caretaker manager Dean Holden saw his side hammered in his first game in charge.

Follow this link to read our Updated match Report with more images from Matthew Chambers.

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ATHLETIC 0, PRESTON 4

A TUMULTUOUS week at Athletic ended with yet more turbulence as the home side were rocked by a heavy defeat to Preston.

Caretaker manager Dean Holden’s first game at the helm was a chastening experience.

His depleted side failed to find a way to open up Preston and showed fragility in a reshuffled back-line.

The defeat leaves Athletic in 13th place, now five points adrift of the final play-off spot.

Preston meanwhile go into the top three, leapfrogging Swindon.

Like most of his squad, Holden was hamstrung from the off as Athletic were forced into five changes from Lee Johnson’s last game in charge at Leyton Orient.

George Elokobi and Joseph Mills, both missing with calf injuries, were replaced by Timothee Dieng and Connor Brown respectively.

Carl Winchester was a late withdrawal and Genseric Kusunga was forced to start in an unfamiliar midfield anchor role. It was Rhys for Rhys on the right as Murphy replaced Turner.

Less than two minutes into his interim reign, Holden saw his side fall behind. A flat corner by Paul Gallagher picked out the towering Paul Huntington, who found the top-left of Jake Kean’s net from eight yards out.

After 32 minutes things got worse when former Athletic loan signing Daniel Johnson was afforded too much time and space on the edge of the box. Johnson cushioned a knockdown on his chest and shifted the ball onto his left foot before firing a swerving shot through Kean.

Holden’s reaction at te interval was to introduce debutant wide man Devante Jacobs to the left-hand side and shift Mike Jones into a central position. The fall guy was the ill Brian Wilson, as Kusunga shifted to right-back.

On 52 minutes, Athletic were opened up all too easily when Callum Robinson’s left-wing cross picked out an unmarked Joe Garner to chest in from three yards.

The home side’s defensive frailties did not end there.

After an hour, Kean saved low to his right from Robinson as again, Athletic's defenders allowed a yellow shirt too much space on the edge of the box.

Turner was introduced on 69 minutes for the ineffectual Murphy, taking up the lone striker role as Philliskirk dropped into the number 10 position.

But Preston continued to look the more likely to score.

On 81 minutes, Athletic's misery was compounded when Sylvan Ebanks-Blake robbed Kean of the ball, leaving him stranded wide to the right of his goal. Ebanks-Blake duly squared for fellow substitute Jermaine Beckford to fire into an empty net from 12 yards.

An ironic added-time cheer greeted a 40-yard effort on target by Philliskirk, to round off a bitterly disappointing Lancashire derby for Athletic fans.

Holden will look to Tuesday night’s trip to Port Vale as Latics look to salvage their floundering play-off hopes.