Latics brought to book

Furman suspended and club are fined

ATHLETIC have been left counting the cost of an ill-disciplined second-half show in defeat to Gillingham.

Combative midfielder Dean Furman picked up his fifth booking of the season in the 1-0 reverse at the Priestfield Stadium, meaning he receives an automatic one-match suspension covering this weekend’s home match against Colchester.

Dave Penney’s men clocked up a total of six cautions, including five after the half-time interval, meaning Athletic will be handed an FA fine of £2,500.

Added to that, Reuben Hazell — perhaps fortunate to be shown a yellow rather than red card for a late trip on Gillingham striker Curtis Weston — and Alex Marrow, who temporarily lost his cool to pick up a 69th-minute booking for a late challenge on right-back Chris Palmer, both have a total of four cautions to their name so far this season. Both now walk the disciplinary tightrope.

Penney, though, isn’t too concerned at the result of a physical approach away from home which has brought about 23 bookings on the road this season — a statistic only matched in Coca-Cola League One by MK Dons.

“I asked them to be tougher but I don’t think there any really nasty challenges in there,” said Penney, whose side have slipped to 14th in the table.

“Andy Holdsworth got booked for a challenge and I don’t really know why.

“I’ll look at the DVD but it did seem there were some poor decisions.”

As for the effective and tough-tackling Furman, booked for a late tackle in centre-field on Stuart Lewis with eight minutes left, Penney said he wouldn’t be out to alter his approach.

“He was excellent and made some great tackles — some crunching tackles,” Penney added.

“It is part of his game and you can’t take it away. He will always pick up bookings to be as effective as he is.”

Penney also denied that he will be looking to sign a loan striker to cover for the absence of injured Pawel Abbott and boost a goals tally of a mere 13 in 16 matches this season, the second-lowest in the division.

“We have got enough bodies,” he said. “We have got (Ryan) Brooke, we have Keigan (Parker) and Nick Blackman, so we have players who can play up there.

“It is not something I am actively looking to do, though we are always looking at what we can add to make us stronger.”