Fed-up Penney is ready for action

Pawel Abbott (left) needs game time to get back to full fitness after his injury lay-off.

ATHLETIC manager Dave Penney can hardly hide his frustrations at another weekend wipe-out.

The postponement of the Leyton Orient home game was the second in succession at a snow and frost-plagued Boundary Park, following the loss of the Boxing Day game against Tranmere.

It means Athletic have only played one match, away at Hartlepool, since visiting Wycombe on December 19.

With vital players like Pawel Abbott and Chris Taylor desperate for game-time in order to improve their respective fitness levels, it leaves the glass looking distinctly half-empty for Penney – despite the fact that his side have hardly lost any ground to their rivals lately.
“It is definitely a bad thing for us,” Penney said. “We have started to get players back and what they need above all else is games in which to get match-fit.

“The question is, when are we going to play again?

“With the forecast as it is, there is a big doubt over the Stockport game this Saturday as well.

“The good thing is that it is country-wide now whereas at first we were at a disadvantage as it was mainly concentrated in the north.

“There weren’t many games on at the weekend, so we at least don’t fall behind again on other teams.”

The calling off of the Orient clash means one less game for loan duo Krisztian Timar and Jim Goodwin.

Both players arrived at Athletic on New Year’s Day and will now stay for the scheduled fixtures away at Stockport and the three in succession at home against Tranmere, Millwall and Brentford.

For the time being, Penney has said there won’t be any further additions to his squad due simply to the uncertainty over exactly when such reinforcements can be deployed on the pitch.

“We have signed Jim and Krisztian and we won’t be looking again until players can start playing for us, otherwise it is just dead money,” Penney added. “So we will assess it again later.”




ONLY two matches survived in Coca-Cola League One this weekend, both involving sides in and around the bottom of the division.



Leaders Leeds United – possibly suffering the after-effects of their superb FA Cup triumph against Manchester United the previous week – were held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Wycombe Wanderers.

Jonny Howson struck early on for Leeds but the visitors bounced back strongly, striking the woodwork twice in the opening period before equalising in the second half through Jon-Paul Pittman.

Wanderers boss Gary Waddock was predictably delighted with his side’s efforts, saying: “It was a fantastic effort by my players. It showed the character of the whole group that we came back from conceding an early goal.

“If you can come to a place like this, play the way we did and pick up a point it gives you real hope that we can pull clear.

“There are enough points left to play for. It would have been nice to get a win but this performance from us was excellent.”

The point gained leaves second-bottom Wycombe on 19, six behing 19th-placed Athletic but having played three matches more.

The side immediately above Athletic in League One, Exeter City, fell to a 3–1 defeat at Norwich City, who stay in second spot.

Paul Tisdale, the Exeter manager, revealed afterwards that his side had been advised by the local police not to make the cross-country trek to Norfolk due to adverse road conditions, but did so after encouragement from the Football League.

Marcus Stewart scored for the visitors in response to goals from Grant Holt and Chris Martin, with the former getting his second of the game – his 22nd of the campaign – to wrap up the points.

Exeter remain a point clear of Athletic but have played two matches more.