Latics in need of a lucky break

FORLORN FIGURE: Athletic manager Dave Penney heads for the tunnel after witnessing a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Millwall.

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Athletic 0, Millwall 1

Confidence evaporates after bizarre penalty award

THESE are dark days for Athletic and their under-fire manager Dave Penney.

Rooted in Coca-Cola League One’s relegation zone, the team is playing without confidence, conviction and purpose. And to those three deficiencies, you can add a hefty slice of bad luck.

Referee Andy Haines’ bizarre decision to award Millwall a 54th-minute penalty — on the recommendation of linesman David Storrie — with Athletic on the attack left everyone bewildered.

Keigan Parker was leading an Athletic break down the left, well into Millwall’s half, when Haines consulted his linesman. A few seconds later, he was pointing to the penalty spot amid howls of protests from Athletic fans in the Rochdale Road end of Boundary Park.

It later transpired that Athletic skipper Sean Gregan was punished for grappling with Steve Morison, an offence which earned him a yellow card.

Millwall centre forward Neil Harris seemed to take an eternity to convert the spot-kick, but when he finally settled on the task in hand he coolly sent Dean Brill the wrong way.

It was Harris’s last contribution before being replaced by Lewis Grabban and was cruel on an Athletic team who deserved better.

The home side’s performance was by no means brilliant, but it was a huge improvement on their abject display against Tranmere three days earlier.

Ultimately, however, Athletic were the architects of their own downfall thanks to their profligacy in front of goal.

Deane Smalley (twice), Parker and Pawel Abbott each wasted gilt-edged chances and when you don’t take your opportunities, there is usually a nasty sting in the tail.

That came in the form of a dubious penalty, but once the visitors had gone ahead, confidence visibly drained from an Athletic side clearly feeling the pressure of the plight in which they find themselves.

Mist rolled across the ground during the early exchanges, but it was Athletic who had the clearer vision of what they were trying to achieve during a first half they dominated.

Abbott’s superb overhead pass put Parker in the clear, but the striker volleyed high over the crossbar.

Parker turned provider for Smalley, but the winger never looked confident of scoring and his right-foot shot from 10 yards flew wide of David Forde’s goal.

Athletic had a third clear-cut chance when skipper Paul Robinson’s slip let in Abbott, but the big centre-forward’s angled shot from the edge of the penalty box failed to test the ’keeper.

The home side’s dominance — if not their finishing — deserved a goal and Smalley had a second gilt-edged chance following the purposeful Joe Jacobson’s cross, but his half-volley from 12 yards flew over the crossbar.

Had he kept his shot down, Smalley would surely have given Athletic the lead and a much-needed confidence boost.

Frustration was mounting on the pitch and in the stands and when Abbott’s header narrowly missed the top corner, you began to get the feeling that this was not going to to be Athletic’s day.

That suspicion was reinforced in spades when Millwall grabbed an undeserved lead after which they upped the tempo, defended in numbers when pinned back and attacked at speed on the break.

From two such raids, Millwall really ought to have increased their lead.

Morison struck the post and former Athletic striker Grabban’s weak follow-up shot was saved by Brill.

Grabban had another good chance five minutes later, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area beat Brill, but also the post.

Grabban then had the indignity of being substituted himself — it’s not just high-profile players such as Robinho who suffer such embarrassment — but his misses did not prove costly for Millwall, who held on for victory quite comfortably despite the introduction of Ryan Brooke and Tom Eaves for Abbott and Parker.

The latter, a prolific scorer for the youth team, was making his debut at the age of 18 and showed one or two nice touches.

However, his efforts were not enough to prevent Athletic from suffering a damaging defeat which was greeted with boos from the stands and no shortage of abuse for Penney.

His side did not deserve to lose a game dictated in midfield by the enthusiastic Dale Stephens, but the position in which Athletic find themselves is clearly unacceptable to the fans.

It remains to be seen whether managing director Simon Corney — who last week acknowledged Athletic are involved in a relegation dogfight — is prepared to keep faith in the man he appointed.

One thing is for sure, the pressure on Penney and his employers shows little sign of easing.


Defeat hard for Penney to take
BELEAGUERED Athletic boss Dave Penney was rueing his team’s bad luck after they slipped to a demoralising defeat at the hands of Millwall.

Penney, who had to endure plenty of abuse from Athletic fans calling for his dismissal, admitted he did not see the incident which led to the award of Millwall’s 54th-minute penalty.

He said: “I was looking towards the edge of their penalty area. Obviously, the ball had been cleared and we were on the attack, but something had happened in our penalty box.
“The ball must have been 50 yards away and the referee booked Sean Gregan. Everybody was amazed when he gave a penalty, but the video is not going to show it because the video was in play with the ball.

“Nobody really knows what the linesman gave. We will have a chat, but they will have a story ready and we will have no joy. It does not alter the fact that we were beaten 1-0 by a penalty.”

Although clearly bewildered by the penalty decision and disappointed with the result, Penney was pleased with Athletic’s performance, which was much better than their shocking display in the midweek 0-0 draw against Tranmere.

“Compared to Wednesday, it was night and day really,” he said.

“The players were excellent from the first minute. A lot of the decision-making was a lot better.

“I could not fault them really. They took the game to Millwall and again it was our Achilles Heel of not being able to score.

“We had enough chances to hit the target or at least make the ’keeper save, especially in the first half.

“We probably had three or four clear-cut chances and until we start taking them and having a decision like that go against us we are going to end up losing instead of drawing or winning.”

Keigan Parker was restored to Athletic’s forward line, with Chris Taylor switching to the left flank, and Penney thought the move almost paid dividends.

“I thought he (Parker) was a threat behind them. We decided we wanted to play with pace,” said the manager.

As for Parker’s strike partner Pawel Abbot, who was replaced by Ryan Brooke in the 70th minute, Penney said: “He was feeling a bit stiff in certain areas and we knew that was going to be the case having been out for eight weeks.

“You saw when he went through one on one from the halfway line that he struggled for the legs to get there.

“All we can do now is keep playing him, keep getting him games, keep training him and his fitness levels will come.”

Another teenager, Tom Eaves, came on in place of Parker with seven minutes remaining.

Said Penney: “The forwards were tired. They put in a great shift, we played on Wednesday as well and Millwall didn’t. We just wanted to get some fresh legs, some youth and enthusiasm to try to get us a goal.”

As for Chris Taylor, who continues to look a yard off the pace, Penney remarked: “He is getting there isn’t he? We know he’s a good player, but he has been struggling with injuries ever since I came here. He is the same as Pav (Abbot), a work in progress.”

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett believed the penalty award was justified.

He said: “I did see the incident and as Morison got up, Gregan got his hands rounds his throat and the linesman has seen it.

“We have had so many penalty appeals turned down recently that I thought we might be due one.

“It was an ugly 1-0 win, but I thought we stepped it up in the second half and had several chances. Oldham is a difficult place to come to, but we negated them quite well.”


Latics’ next game:

Saturday, Brentford (H),

Coca-Cola League One

PICTURES: ANDREW SCHOFIELD