Latics end on flat note

Photo: Tom Pickles

Neal Eardley gives his side the lead from the penalty spot.

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Plenty of effort, but frailties exposed again

Oldham 1, Southend 1

SADLY the partying at Boundary Park on Saturday was not by Athletic as they stretched their run to 11 Coca-Cola League One games without a win.

Southend's slender hopes of promotion disappeared during Athletic’s final home game of the season but their 479 supporters were still determined to have a day to remember.

There was a vast array of fancy costumes , while the giant conga the fans formed in the second half lifted a mundane end-of-season game.

It provided far more entertainment than that which was witnessed on the pitch in front of a surprisingly large crowd of 4,830, bearing in mind nothing, apart from pride, was at stake.
Athletic were playing out what has been a tortuous finish to the campaign – four points from a possible 33 is the damning statistic.

Thank goodness the season is almost at an end or Athletic would have been sucked into a relegation battle such has been their spectacular demise.

You could not fault Athletic’s effort, but the truth of the matter is that this team is not equipped to be a force in League One.

Indeed, it is hard to believe they ever mounted a serious promotion charge.

Athletic have lacked a cutting edge for some time – Saturday's goal came from one of the most generous penalties you will ever see - and they rarely troubled former Boundary Park ’keeper Steve Mildenhall.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Athletic were once again punished for a defensive mistake and it was easy to see why they haven't kept a clean sheet in 15 games.

Stefan Stam, Matty Wolfenden and the injured Chris Taylor were absentees from the starting line-up which kicked off at Brighton as Ian Westlake, Kevin Maher and Lewis Alessandra won recalls.

After an initial flurry in which Dougie Freedman blazed over from a great position and Maher's well-struck free-kick clipped an upright, there was little to write home about.

Athletic, who brought on Wolfenden for Alessandra at the restart, finally made a breakthrough in the 50th minute when they were awarded their soft penalty.

Manager Joe Royle even admitted he would have been aggrieved had it been given against his team.

Indeed, my initial reaction was that Dean Smalley might be cautioned for diving as he went down after a seemingly-harmless challenge by Anthony Grant, a former Athletic loan player.

Athletic, who have been on the wrong end of a number of dubious decisions of late, weren't complaining as Neal Eardley scored from the penalty spot – the right back's second goal in four games.

Unfortunately, they only managed to hold on to the lead for nine minutes as they conceded another comical goal.

Sean Gregan lost out for a header near the half-way line and, from the resulting break down the right, Simon Francis crossed to unmarked substitute Lee Barnard, the Shrimpers' top scorer, whose 11th goal of the season was possibly his easiest.

If anybody was to conjure a winner in the last half hour it looked likely to be the visitors.

Francis had a free header into the side netting, admittedly from an angle, while Grant's free-kick deep into stoppage time was scrambled to safety by ’keeper Mark Crossley.

Substitute Danny Whitaker had a couple of dangerous, weaving runs for Athletic and from one of them Smalley shot wide, but the home side never looked like turning one point into three.

As for the pitch invasion at the final whistle, that was probably in anticipation of success next season.

We all live in hope!


Some players just never learn – Royle

JOE ROYLE again hinted there will be a summer clear-out if he remains as Athletic manager.

The caretaker chief was critical of some of his players after Saturday's 1-1 draw against Southend in their final home game of the campaign.

Royle said: "I was disappointed with certain individuals - and I won't name them – in their ability to learn.

"They make the same mistakes week-in, week-out and don't seem to learn from them.

"I am not one for shouting and running a boot camp but they have been gently reminded and it doesn't seem to be sinking in. And the answer, quite brutally, is to change them.

"There are decisions to be made about players and their futures, but it is clear what we have is nearer to a relegation battle than to a promotion battle."

Royle admitted it will be a massive challenge for whoever is manager next season.

He added that with Charlton and Southampton relegated and Leeds by no means certain of promotion, there will be some big clubs in League One.

But Royle also believes there is nothing to be afraid of if Athletic can get their house in order.

"You can throw a blanket over the whole division and somebody with the defensive strength to keep clean sheets and the wherewithal to score two or more goals in a game has a great chance of going up," he said.

Royle believes the events on Saturday summed up Athletic’s finish to the campaign.

"We have scored for seven games in a row, but we are incapable of keeping a clean sheet which is what cost us a win.”

Royle described Southend’s goal as a "shambles".

"We were given a soft penalty and I would have been disappointed had it been given against us.

“A clean sheet would have won us the game but Sean Gregan, our best defender who had headed every other ball, missed one and the ball ended up in the net which is not right.

"I think one or two them switched off and therein lies our trouble. We are deficient at both ends and 1-1 is about right for us at the moment."

Royle revealed Athletic put over 22 crosses in the first half without getting on the end of any of them.

He added: "I thought our shape was better than it has been, and we passed the ball well at times.

"Kevin Maher and Mark Allott were excellent in midfield, and Sean Gregan and Reuben Hazell defended excellently down the middle against a couple of quick players."