At last! Latics have something to smile about

Athletic manager Dave Penney praised the defensive effort at Prenton Park.

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Tranmere 0, Athletic 1

THE going has been tough for Dave Penney in recent weeks.

Castigated by his own supporters for presiding over a side woefully short of goals, the Athletic boss can be forgiven for wearing a satisfied smile after this vital victory at a foggy Prenton Park.

Pawel Abbott’s headed goal off a whipped-in Dale Stephens corner after 41 minutes won the game for Athletic.

It was only a second triumph in 12 Coca-Cola League One matches for a side which had slumped into deep relegation trouble, causing plenty of consternation among fans.

Faced with two choices — to wholly abandon the work that had been put into the squad this season, or to tinker with the fringes to improve a team rarely bettered by a large margin this season — Penney opted for the latter course of action.

And, in sticking to his guns, this win can be seen as a vindication of his managerial methods.

Tough, combative and determined are three words that sum up Athletic here — all attributes that are vital when battling away in the nether reaches of Coca-Cola League One.

Tranmere looked a very poor side. But in fairness, Athletic consistently bullied them out of contention, winning the majority of 50-50 balls.

Centre-backs Reuben Hazel and Sean Gregan were again outstanding, ably supported on ether side by solid-as-rock full-backs Jim Goodwin and Joe Jacobson.

In central midfield, Dean Furman worked himself into the ground and Stephens’ determination to prove his physical worth matches even got him into a confrontation with man-mountain Tranmere centre-half Ian Goodison in the second half, for which both players got yellow cards.

Rather him than me.

Out wide, Athletic were solid rather than spectacular in terms of regularly getting to the byline while up front, Abbot and loan signing Jason Price pressured defenders and worked the ball in tandem neatly at times.

This performance wasn’t always pretty, but it was certainly effective.

Which also serves to sum up the contribution of new-boy Price.

The distinctive striker, on loan from Millwall, only had one sniff at goal all game and skewed his left-foot shot well wide after a second-minute foray down the left wing.

The 32-year-old’s presence, though — not to mention a clearly well-maintained footballing brain — provided fellow forward Abbott with the foil he has been badly lacking all season.

The lack of a suitable partner has cost Athletic dearly. Now, it seems the Price could be right to boost the team’s scoring chances.

Even if the former Hull City and Doncaster Rovers man doesn’t grab a hatful himself, on this evidence he will surely create opportunities for others.

Athletic made two changes from the team which lost 1-0 at home to Millwall two weeks ago. In came Price in place of Keigan Parker and Danny Whitaker took Chris Taylor’s spot on the left of midfield, with both dropped players featuring off the substitutes’ bench.

The first meaningful effort came from the away team, who made a bright start.

Abbott’s neat nutmeg on the edge of the area found Price and his first-time ball slid back into the middle had Furman bearing down on goal, but his touch wasn’t quite good enough and the ball rolled through to Tranmere goalkeeper Luke Daniels.

A good interception from Hazell prevented Chris Shuker from getting a shot off and Deane Smalley got a let-off soon after when he was dispossessed by Ian Thomas-Moore in the area, only for the striker to be adjudged offside as he forced Dean Brill into a diving low save.

Furman exchanged passes with Price and, finding himself in space on the edge of the area, fired in a low shot which was well held by Daniels as Athletic continued to enjoy marginally the better of the exchanges.

Thomas-Moore responded with a rasping drive from the right which went three yards wide across the face of Brill’s goal and Craig Curran had a half-hearted shout for a penalty when he tumbled theatrically under a challenge from the retreating Jacobson.

Enter Abbott. Springing to life, the striker had consecutive shots blocked by defenders and from the second gained his team a corner.

In came another superb Stephens delivery and Abbott somehow sneaked ahead of the man on the front post to head across and past the defender on the line.

It could have been 2-0 just a minute later. Stephens sent Abbott in over the top and after getting between the two centre-backs, Athletic’s eight-goal top scorer blazed over on the half-volley.

Six minutes after the break the visitors again went close, this time when Danny Whitaker drifted in the middle and forced Daniels into a flying fingertip save under the crossbar with a powerful header from Smalley’s deep right-wing cross.

Tranmere introduced on-loan Watford striker Marvin Sordell after 54 minutes and the teenager had a galvanising effect on the home side’s attack.

His cross had Shuker forcing Brill into a low save with a header and Thomas-Moore caused a minor panic when his shot was blocked after appearing to be in an offside position.

There weren’t any real signs that Rovers were about the draw level until the 89th minute.

Sordell’s clever backheel sent substitute Charlie Barnett away down the left and as the ball was returned to the strong front man, two close-range hits in quick succession were superbly blocked by Brill.

Athletic’s goalkeeper was forced into action once more, punching away a high cross amid a pile-up of bodies, before referee Chris Sarginson blew for full-time after a mystifying five minutes of added time.






Penney’s relief at ‘massive’ result



“MASSIVE” was Athletic boss Dave Penney’s word of choice in describing a victory at Tranmere which lifts his side out of the League One relegation zone.



Pawel Abbott’s flicked header from a Dale Stephens corner shortly before half-time sealed three points for the visitors at Prenton Park.

Penney’s men were rarely troubled as they dominated the home team physically, with centre-backs Reuben Hazell and Sean Gregan on hand to successfully deal with all but a couple of Tranmere attacks.

And, ahead of a difficult run of matches, the significance of securing a three-point cushion over Rovers wasn’t lost on Athletic’s manager.

“It was a massive three points,” said Penney. “We were both level on points down there so psychologically to get three points and to keep them below us in the table takes us out of it a little bit.

“Whenever it came in the box Reuben and Sean headed it clear and when they did have a chance late on Dean Brill made two good saves.

“That was the only time they really breached us. First half we were at our best and had loads of chances, second half we came under pressure with the five minutes of injury time — where that came from I will never know.

“But we are delighted with the clean sheet and the three points.”

Penney declared himself proud of the defensive stint put in by his side, who continue to be difficult to break down.

Only two teams in League One have conceded less goals away from home this season.

At the other end, new loan signing Jason Price caused problems for the Tranmere defence and linked well with fellow striker Pawel Abbott.

“We would have had three clean sheets in a row if it wasn’t for the penalty against Millwall, which is pleasing,” Penney added.

“We were excellent in that game and we didn’t play as well here.

“In the first half we were good and had a few chances with Dean Furman, Pawel Abbott and Jason Price.

“I just felt that the experience we fetched in with Jim Goodwin and Pricey plus having Reuben Hazell back in there you could see we were a lot more mentally strong.

“We had a lot more winners, leaders and characters.

“Jason is a good character, lively in the changing room with his big haircut.

“He is bright, bubbly, ungainly and awkward and he causes problems for defenders.

“We are pleased with Pricey and I knew what we would get with both him and Jim.”

Penney is hoping now that his team can benefit from the confidence boost of only a second win in 12 matches to continue to rise up the standings.

“The league table is a little bit false at the moment in the respect that we have got four games in hand on some teams,” he said.

“You can see what Leyton Orient have done lately. They have had a quick succession of games, picked up quick wins and they have been able to move up the league.”




Latics’ next game:

Tomorrow, Swindon (A), Coca-Cola League One