It feels like defeat, admits Penney

MANAGER Dave Penney blasted Athletic's defenders after his team failed to beat Swindon Town.

Penney, who admitted the draw was a bitter pill to swallow, said: "We cannot keep conceding goals like those.

“We may as well go out 2-0 down before we start and then try to get it back.

"We conceded two poor goals. We can put on all the coaching sessions we want, but you cannot legislate for individual mistakes like those.

"It was poor defending, poor goalkeeping. We gave them two goals and it looked as though we had lost the game. We were lucky in the end to get something out of it.

"It feels like a defeat because it was a game we controlled for probably 85 minutes and never really felt threatened.

“But the manner in which the goals were conceded was particularly disappointing"

Penney took some positives from the match, however.

He continued: "We were bright and positive for long periods of the match and created four or five chances in the first 15 minutes.

"You want them to go in because, had that happened, it would have killed off the game.

"But while it was 1-0 Swindon always had a chance just as we had at Millwall when we were one down."

Penney said he would have given the man-of-the-match award to Alex Marrow, not only for his well-taken goal, but for his overall performance in the centre of midfield.

The Athletic manager was also pleased with the debut of striker Nick Blackman, who held the ball well and brought others into play.

"I was able to take a lot of positives from the game, but also two negatives," he said

Goalscorer Marrow, who had never played any league football before joining Athletic, was delighted to get on to the scoresheet for the first time in his fourth appearance.

The 19-year-old said: "I was happy to get my first goal in league football. it was just a shame we could not hold on and get all three points.

"I was hoping that after I scored we could kick on and get a second goal and make it more comfortable for ourselves.

"After Swindon went 2-1 ahead, the lads came back to get a draw so one point is better than nothing.

"I am enjoying every minute of my time here and, while I prefer to play in midfield, it is about the team and not me, and I will play wherever the gaffer wants me to."

New boy Nick Blackman was happy with his debut.

The 19-year-old striker said: "A couple of mistakes cost us dearly and when we went back into the changing rooms it felt like a loss.

"We had a spell in the first half when we were well on top and had four or five chances which we failed to take.

“That is where we could have killed off Swindon and it should have been game over after half an hour.

"We couldn't get a second goal and the longer it went on there was always a chance they would nick a goal.”