Moment of madness proves too costly

ALL-SQUARE: Chris Taylor flicks home Athletic’s equaliser against Peterborough United on Saturday.

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ATHLETIC were able to take heart from Saturday’s home Coca-Cola League One defeat by Peterborough United.

Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture, and this was one of those occasions.

Athletic more than matched opponents who appear destined to achieve back-to-back promotions.

They played with spirit and endeavour and, but for a dreadful defensive error late on, they would have surely prevented Posh from recording their seventh straight league victory.

Manager Joe Royle could only watch in anguish as Neal Eardley headed the ball past on-rushing ’keeper Shane Supple, leaving Posh top-scorer Craig Mackail-Smith to complete a simple tap-in.

Erase that moment from the memory bank and it is clear Royle is getting his message across.

However, he is still searching for that elusive first victory following his return four matches ago. Unfortunately for Athletic fans, there will be no quick fix as was hoped following his much-trumpeted return.

Royle rightly points out the malaise began long before his appointment last month, with Athletic’s form since the end of January that of a team battling relegation. Two wins in 14 league matches is a damning statistic which tells its own story.

Eardley and Kevin Maher returned in place of Stefan Stam and the injured Deane Smalley, the two changes from the defeat at Leyton Orient where Athletic suffered another hard-luck story. Sadly they are becoming an all-too-frequent occurrence.

Royle kicked off with a 4-3-3 line up with Lewis Alessandra flanked by Chris Taylor and Danny Whitaker out wide. In the second half he switched to 4-4-2 with Taylor pushed up alongside Alessandra, with Whitaker playing on the right flank.

Posh made the brighter start and Aaron McLean missed the target when he should have done better.

It was no surprise when they went ahead. A right-wing cross from Paul Coutts was not cleared and Mackail-Smith found the net with a neat shot on the turn.

Athletic could have fallen further behind before Taylor gave them an unexpected toe hold back into the game shortly before half-time.

Eardley floated a delightful free-kick into the box and Taylor got in front of his marker to glance a header high into the net.

In a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes, Athletic could so easily have finished the half in front.

Whitaker picked out Alessandra with a terrific crossfield pass, and the young striker kept his cool to slot the ball beyond ’keeper Joe Lewis.

But referee Graham Salisbury ruled it out for a nudge by Alessandra on left-back Tom Williams, which hardly anybody else in Boundary Park spotted. There were no concerted appeals from the Posh players.

Taylor had a couple of decent efforts early in the second half and Whitaker also went close as confidence and self-belief seeped through the Athletic players veins.

Suddenly Posh were on the back foot, but they should have retaken the lead before the hour mark. Mackail-Smith got himself into a good position inside the six-yard box, but somehow headed wide. It was a bad miss.

Athletic perhaps should have had a second themselves with 10 minutes left when Whitaker squared the ball to Taylor, who scuffed his shot straight to ’keeper Lewis.

The game seemed destined to finish honours even, but then came that moment of defensive madness when Posh snatched victory in the 87th minute with a goal out of the blue.

The ball was hoisted over the Athletic defence and Eardley decided to head it back to ball to Supple. However, he did not realise how far the ’keeper, who had anticipated the danger, had come off his line to collect the long punt forward.

The ball sailed over the head of Supple, leaving Mackail-Smith to score his 24th goal of the season.

It brought joyous scenes from the 977 Posh fans behind the goal and anguish for the home supporters.


Royle bemoans lack of lady luck

JOE ROYLE was a frustrated man following Athletic’s latest loss at home to Peterborough United.

“It is down to a four-letter word — luck,” reflected the Athletic manager, who was suffering a third defeat in four games since his return to Boundary Park.

There is a fine line between success and failure as Royle readily acknowledged.

He went on: “It was very cruel, and I was speaking to Sir Alex Ferguson afterwards and we both said the same thing at the same time. If you are going well, you get that bit of luck.

“We were on top when Peterborough scored their winner. Chris Taylor, who was excellent, had just missed a good chance and then our goalkeeper and right back got themselves in a tangle when they were under no real pressure.

“Again we were bemoaning a little bit of luck and wondering how we didn’t come off 2-1 ahead because we still don’t know why Lewis Alessandra’s goal was chalked off.

“The referee apparently said there was a pull in the build up, but the linesman didn’t give it and not one of their players appealed. For the second week running we have been left mystified as to why a goal has not stood.

“The referee’s decision has again cost us dearly. I don’t want to be always talking about referees, but we have not had the best from them in the last couple of weeks.

“But our overall performance was excellent and gave me great heart. There was much to be pleased about as we were up against a free-spending team 22 points better off than us.

“The one thing about this division is that there is not a lot separating the top and bottom teams as we have seen by the way Cheltenham and Leyton Orient played against us.

“We are 22 points behind Peterborough, but there is no great difference in this division apart from may be the quality up front.”

Posh manager Darren Ferguson also referred to the importance of lady luck.

He said: “They were big, big points and every one we pick up is an important one because this was an extremely difficult game.

“We also got the rub of the green with the winner. There is no doubt you need luck, which you saw with the mistake for our second goal and also for the one which was ruled out which would have put Oldham 2-1 ahead.

“I don’t know whether Tommy (Williams) clipped their lad, but I can understand why Joe was unhappy with it.

“Athletic were also unlucky with some decisions at Leyton Orient last week.”

Ferguson’s side, who were making it seven straight wins, have hit form at the right time.

He said: “It might not have been pleasing on the eye, but we have shown a lot of character in some of our performances away from home.”