Latics: another case of what might have been

Photo: PICTURES by MAX FLEGO

point-blank effort: Pawel Abbott is denied by Colchester United goalkeeper Ben Williams.

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Colchester 1, Athletic 0

ON A playing surface as sticky as the inside of a jam doughnut, Athletic failed to get their just deserts.

A point was as much as any visiting fan dared hope for before kick-off at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Colchester, sniffing out a top-two spot in Coca-Cola League One, had dropped only eight points at home all season before this game, with boss Aidy Boothroyd’s powerful, no-nonsense football proving highly successful.

But after seeing Athletic more than match the promotion-chasers, it was a case of wondering — not for the first time this season — what might have been, had the team found their elusive shooting boots.

Dave Penney’s side, finding joy down both wings, went close to scoring on plenty of occasions and the distinctive figure of Jason Price caused plenty of problems for the heavily-involved Colchester rearguard.

The on-loan Millwall man hit the frame of the goal on two occasions — once in the first half with a glancing header and again in searching for an equaliser, his deflected shot on the turn looped on to the bar — while fellow forward Pawel Abbott couldn’t forge a path past United goalkeeper Ben Williams with two close-range efforts.

In short, Athletic were unlucky to leave empty-handed.

Colchester’s only goal came after 64 minutes, when centre-back Danny Batth rose highest to head home as Athletic ‘keeper Dean Brill surged off his line and failed to get anywhere near the ball with his attempted punch.

It was one of precious few chances the physical but surprisingly limited home side could create.

The other main one came in the first half when Brill did superbly to rush out and smother Steve Gillespie’s effort when left one-one-one.

Athletic were the better side for much of the contest.

But the table doesn’t yield to tales of bad fortune. Goals win games, and despite an accomplished overall performance the bare facts state that this was the 14th time Dave Penney’s team have failed to find the net this season.

Athletic started the game making only one change to the side which beat Walsall 1-0 at home seven days earlier.

Jim Goodwin was forced out with a thigh strain, with Alex Marrow stepping in to take his place at right-back.

The first real action of the game occurred after seven minutes, with Chris Taylor — lively until he suffered a bang on his troublesome hip in the second half and had to be substituted — firing a ball across the penalty box just too far in front of Abbott.

Colchester went close to opening the scoring five minutes later. Gillespie was sent clean through with a long ball over the top which split Athletic wide open, but Brill covered the angles well to race from his line and block the attempt.

Then came Price’s first ‘nearly’ moment. Deane Smalley fed Abbott wide on the right and his clipped cross was met by Price’s head in the centre of the area.

Williams was beaten but the ball skidded off the far post.

By now Athletic had gradually got on top, playing good football with Dale Stephens providing the class in the centre while energetic Dean Furman did the legwork.

The rest of the first half was uneventful as United constantly sought to play off strong striker Clive Platt, who got little change out of either of Athletic’s centre-backs.

A minute into the second period Gillespie replicated Taylor’s first-half cross which evaded everyone as Colchester started apace.

Athletic responded and Abbott failed to connect properly to a Stephens free-kick, the ball trickling through the mud to Williams.

Athletic’s top scorer should then have put the visitors in front after 54 minutes.

Having showed good strength to win a corner initially, the ball was cleared as far as Marrow. The right-back swung over a long cross which was nodded back into Abbott’s path by Price, only for his blasted effort from the edge of the six-yard area to be blocked by the alert Williams.

Former Leeds midfielder David Prutton nearly created an opening for Colchester with a smart cross which Anthony Wordsworth controlled and fired five yards wide, before down the other end Stephens struck a free-kick from a good position well off target.

The goal came four minutes after the hour and out of the blue — but Athletic responded in the right way.

Abbott had a squeezed left-footed shot from a tight angle blocked by man-of-the-match Williams and, after Joe Colbeck had replaced Taylor, the substitute winger’s pull-back fell to the visitors’ leading scorer who couldn’t generate enough power on his attempt.

Colbeck himself then had a powerful effort palmed away by Williams after he had cut inside off a wonderful cross-field pass by Stephens.

The moment that proved it wasn’t going to be Athletic’s day came three minutes from the end of normal time.

Substitute Keigan Parker crossed from the right and Price turned nicely, hitting a left-footed shot which deflected off goalscorer Batth and popped up on to the crossbar.

Close, but not close enough for Athletic.




Penney: We must take our chances



DAVE PENNEY was left staring at the bottom line as Athletic fell to an eighth away defeat of the campaign.



Despite carving out the best of the chances in an impressive showing at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, the goals tally for the visitors again read ‘nil’, leaving the Athletic boss to reflect on another tale of opportunities missed.

“The performance was terrific, against a team that is right up there,” said Penney.

“Their goalkeeper got man-of-the-match, but we should be more clinical and finish the chances that we get.

“Performance-wise it was as good as you are going to get coming here. But we are obviously disappointed with the result.

“We have got no points and that is the be-all-and-end-all. I’d rather be the worst side they have faced and come away with three points.

“We tried to play and made numerous chances — but we have to take those chances.”

Striker pair Pawel Abbott and Jason Price were at the forefront of the action.

Abbott, Athletic’s top scorer, had a point-blank effort well saved by outstanding United ‘keeper Ben Williams and the on-loan Price struck a post with a header in the first half and hit a deflected shot on to the bar as Penney’s men searched for an equaliser.

“Pawel had one, Pricey had one that hit a post and then another that ricocheted against the crossbar,” added Penney, after another blank in front of goal.

“There were a lot of positives but no points and that is the aim of every game you go out to play in.

“I think we probably had our best chance with Pawel when Pricey headed it back across (to be smothered by Williams) and that was followed by a shout for a penalty on Chrissy Taylor.

“Almost straight away they went down the other end and scored from a corner. That is the way it is for us at the moment.

“When you are at the top and riding your luck, you win 1-0 like this. If you’re down the bottom, you lose by a goal.

“These things will turn if you work hard, as we have been doing, and keep on putting in performances.

“Deflections will go in, off someone’s backside or something like that, and you’ll end up with three points.”

Athletic now face a quick turn-around with a visit to Elland Road on tomorrow night and Penney hopes his side can reproduce the same quality football against Leeds, only this time with a different end result.

“I watched them (Leeds) in midweek and they are big and strong, similar to Colchester in that they put the ball into the right areas, and are a threat from set plays,” he said.

“We got done from a set play here and that was disappointing as we work hard on that in training to make sure it doesn’t happen.

“We can take a lot of heart from the performance going into that game.”




Latics’ next game: Tomorrow, Leeds (A), Coca-Cola League One