Search on for a striker

Dave Penney: goal-drought

THE GOAL drought threatening Athletic’s status will be urgently addressed this week.

Another blank against Coca-Cola League One leaders Norwich City at Boundary Park leaves manager Dave Penney’s team in the relegation zone on goal difference, having not found the net in their last 282 minutes of action.

Penney (pictured above) was pleased with his team’s creditable efforts in the 1-0 defeat but admitted afterwards that he is desperately in need of a goalscorer.

“We do need to freshen it up and we need to bring somebody in who can score goals for us,” said the Athletic boss, after a third consecutive defeat.

The loan spell of Millwall forward Jason Price is not up until after the game away at Exeter City on Saturday. The Welshman has scored just once in his six appearances for the club so far.

Penney has previously stated his desire to extend that deal, possibly to the end of the season.

But he could also opt to send Price back and free up space in the budget for two new loan strikers, provided they can be found.

The most likely route for Athletic to go down in the hunt for a goal scorer is young players in the reserves ranks of Premier League and Championship clubs.

Currently, Pawel Abbott is out on his own in the club’s scoring stakes with nine, with Keigan Parker, Danny Whitaker and centre-back Reuben Hazell next with two each. Athletic have managed only 24 goals in 31 league games.

“There is room to bring someone in,” said Athletic’s chief executive Alan Hardy. “The owners have made it clear that if necessary, money will be available for a striker.”

The new month is massive both for Penney’s own future and Athletic’s. After the trip to face third-bottom Exeter, there are games against Leyton Orient (home), Wycombe (home), Stockport (away), Brighton (home) and Brentford (home).




ATHLETIC’S reserves are in action against Rochdale once again at Ewen Fields on Wednesday (2pm kick-off).



The reserves have also reached the semi-finals of the totesport.com League Cup, where they will meet Preston North End away from home on an as-yet unspecified date. The game has to be played by Monday, April 12.