Penney ponders striker loan bid

Chris Taylor: Missed last night’s game through illness.

ATHLETIC boss Dave Penney will pick out loan transfer targets today as he bids to inject new life into a faltering campaign.

A disappointing 3-0 reverse at Walsall last night sunk Athletic to 16th place in Coca-Cola Football League One, five points clear of the relegation places but with tough games against Leeds United and Norwich City up next.

Scoring goals is a big problem for Penney’s men, who have racked up only 15 in 18 matches — the joint lowest total in the division along with bottom two sides Stockport and Tranmere.

Another blank last night — albeit without the ill Chris Taylor — would indicate that he will look to bring in a striker before the transfer window shuts at 5pm tomorrow.

“We have had better days,” Penney admitted following a game in which Lee Hills was sent off before half-time for a late and dangerous tackle on scorer Steve Jones.

“We had the disruption of Chris Taylor and Alex Marrow being ill, so that set us back. But we just weren’t ruthless in both boxes. We conceded two poor goals in the first half, particularly the one before half-time after we had gone down to 10 men.

“We had to hang in the game just to make sure we didn’t get a good hiding, to be fair.”

Left-back Hills will be handed an automatic three-match ban for his red card, effectively drawing to a close his loan spell from Crystal Palace.

Penney was left unsure over the decision made by referee Andy Woolmer after the incident, which happened right in front of the Walsall dug-out.

“I will have to have a look again and I just don’t know, to be honest,” he added. “I think that Lee got something on the ball and caught the man as well, so I will have a look.

“There were a couple of incidents before it, similar scenarios. But it was just naivety on behalf of the young boy. You should stand up and get the ball, not even give the referee the chance to send you off.”

Kelvin Lomax made an unexpected return to action at the Banks’s Stadium after missing the last four games with a slight leg fracture, coming on after half-time to replace the injured Reuben Hazell, who pulled a calf muscle.

Summer signing Joe Jacobson made his first-team debut from the bench in the defensive reshuffle that followed when Hills was dismissed.


ATHLETIC’S young stars have the chance of glory tonight at Boundary Park when they take on Rochdale in the second round of the FA Youth Cup (7pm kick-off).

Coach Tony Philliskirk’s side are playing for the chance to turn out against Aston Villa at Villa Park in the next stage.

Concern surrounds the fitness of top scorer Tom Eaves, who went home ill from training on Monday. He will be back at the ground today for an assessment before any decision is made on his availability.