Athletic’s slide continues as leaders display cutting edge

Photo: Tom Pickles

ATHLETIC’S Danny Whitaker battles for possession in last night’s home defeat by Leeds United.

Athletic 0, Leeds Utd 2

THE SLIP down the League One table continues for Athletic as boss Dave Penney searches in vain for a solution to his goalscoring problems.

Though the personnel on both sides was much changed at Boundary Park from the FA Cup clash between the same sides four weeks ago, the result – and the way it was achieved – was achingly similar.

Once again, the scheming Neil Kilkenny tore his former employers to pieces with clever movement and delicious passing in the centre of the field, this time getting on the end of a Max Gradel cross to open the scoring for Leeds in the first half.

Though the visitors endured one or two hairy moments, a home team featuring debutant striker Paul Heffernan failed to muster a single shot on target in 93 minutes of action.

And Athletic had to suffer further when substitute Luciano Becchio wrapped things up eight minutes from time with a calm side-footed finish after Gradel had again created the opening.

The result leaves Simon Grayson’s side six points clear at the top of Coca-Cola League One, while Athletic flounder in 19th having won just one in their last 10 in all competitions.
With Norwich City to come on Saturday, things don’t get any easier for Penney’s patched-up squad, whose record of a mere 15 goals in 19 league games – the lowest in the division, along with second-bottom Stockport – tells its own story.

The danger is that this sort of unwanted record piles extra pressure on those players who do get a rare good opportunity in front of goal.

Dean Furman, for example, should have done much better when presented with a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first half.

Joe Colbeck, excellent in the last two matches, was producing a stream of quality crosses when cutting onto his right foot from the left wing in the early stages.

One of his whipped-in deliveries fell perfectly into the path of Furman, who had timed his run into the box from central midfield with Frank Lampard-like precision after 10 minutes.

Sadly, the finish was more Frank Spencer. The hard-working Furman failed to get enough of his head on the ball in the centre of goal eight yards out and flicked it wide when he had to at least hit the target.

Deane Smalley might also have got on the end of a superb Colbeck delivery later in the first half, only to see it pass agonisingly in front of him at the far post.

Paul Heffernan’s was the other big opportunity that went begging for Athletic.

Turning onto his left foot inside the area on 69 minutes, the on-loan front man was slightly off balance when striking his shot, intended for the top left corner, and could only direct it into the side-netting.

That apart, Leeds were in control for most of the game.

After Furman’s header was sent wide of the target, excellent interplay between midfield trio Kilkenny, Jonny Howson and David Prutton ended with the ball being slipped through to the charging Jason Crowe.

As the Leeds right-back bore down on goal, he tried to loft the ball past goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan and it drifted wide of the far post.

One good chance each, then, but from here on in the half belonged to Simon Grayson’s men.

Smalley’s half-chance came and went and the shaven-headed striker had to be alert on two successive occasions to get there first with his head to clear as Leeds threatened.

Sam Vokes could only dribble the ball into Flahavan’s arms when put through just after the half-hour, but it wasn’t long before the visitors broke the deadlock.

Eight minutes before half-time, Gradel worked room on the left with some neat skill to defeat Kelvin Lomax and his low cross into the six-yard area skidded off the turf and into the path of Kilkenny, who chested home.

The other noteworthy action of the period was a yellow card for Alex Marrow for a foul on Hogan Ephraim.

It was a fifth booking of the season for the emergency centre-half, which could hardly have come at a worse time with Reuben Hazell out injured.

Three minutes into the second half Gradel was sent through and hit a shot which produced a superb reaction stop from Flahavan.

Soon after, Athletic appealed in vain for a back pass when Michalik stabbed Keigan Parker’s cross back to his goalkeeper Casper Ankergren.

Vokes then struck a half-chance which dropped to him off a corner over the bar, before Flahavan again had to be alert to rush out and halt the danger when the lively Gradel sneaked through the middle.

Then came Heffernan’s chance to level the scores, before Leeds brought on two of their big guns from the bench in Robert Snodgrass and Becchio.

The former produced another very good stop from Flahavan with a low right-footed shot, but the busy Athletic custodian could do nothing to prevent the latter from scoring neatly with his left foot after a perfectly-weighted Gradel pass was slipped in front of him inside the area.

That was all-but that for an Athletic side who were comprehensively outplayed and outclassed by a Leeds side who could afford to leave 14-goal top scorer Jermaine Beckford on the bench for the entire game. Oh that Penney could afford such a luxury.