Another step in the right direction

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: On-loan Athletic forward Lewis Guy sprints towards the MK Dons goal during last night’s Coca-Cola League One clash

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MK Dons 0, Athletic 0

NOBODY connected with Athletic would have complained had this result been offered up before kick-off.

Another valuable point to add to the none-too healthy collection, against a side with plenty of cash to hand who had up until only a few weeks ago play-off ambitions.

Pawel Abbott missed a pair of sitters for Dave Penney’s men, while Jermaine Easter hit a post for the heavily depleted home side.

Honours were even and that was just about the right outcome.

And though this was to a classic football match what Boundary Park is to stadium:mk — hate, hate, hate that name, but what a sparkling arena it is — it at least added to the feeling that there is something there in this Athletic side.

Further similar efforts in upcoming fixtures, tidied up a little around the rough edges, should see Athletic safe sooner rather than later.

Penney made two changes to the line-up that defeated Bristol Rovers 2-1, Kieran Lee returning from suspension to start at left-back in place of Paul Black and Dean Furman replacing the injured Chris Taylor in a five-man midfield.

Injuries and suspensions led to MK Dons manager Paul Ince naming 40-year-old first team coach Alex Rae in his starting line-up, with only five players sitting on the substitutes’ bench.

Athletic started competently and had a couple of early long-range shots from Abbott and Danny Whitaker charged down before the latter nearly set Lewis Guy in on goal, only to be flagged offside.

Then Abbott missed his first golden opportunity. Guy was released down the right, defeated Mathias Doumbe with ease and curled in a delightful cross which Athletic’s top scorer contrived to head over from the edge of the six-yard box, unmarked, on the quarter-hour mark.

The home side responded in a sterile first half with Dean Lewington heading over on the angle when he could have done better off a lovely scooped ball to the far post from veteran Rae.

Joe Colbeck’s nightmare start to the game was ended when Deane Smalley was brought on to replace him 10 minutes before the interval.

Neither Colbeck nor Penney seemed particularly delighted with life as they passed one another inside the technical area.

As the half trundled to a dismal conclusion, Whitaker was fed by Smalley and fired a well-hit shot from 25 yards out, which seared a couple of yards over the centre of the goal.

The pre-season feel of the atmosphere in the stadium wasn’t helped by regular long waits for the ball to be retrieved from under the seats, which must have contributed largely to the four minutes of added time at the end of the opening period.

Half-time couldn’t come quickly enough, especially for Ince who presumably gave his side the proverbial rocket before they emerged early for the start of the second half.

But it was the visitors who began the brighter, Smalley playing a left-footed ball from the byline right across the six-yard box and a couple of steps ahead of Abbott.

The Athletic striker was again in the action five minutes into the half, missing his second good chance.

Furman played Guy into acres of space down the right wing and his first-time ball across appeared to surprise Abbott, who failed to connect as he slid in with his left foot bang in front of goal.

The game was threatening to become a bona fide football match and MK Dons went closest two minutes later.

Easter beat two players with neat footwork after a rare slip from Reuben Hazell, cutting inside to fire against the near post before Rae hit a 30-yard shot into goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan’s arms.

Captain Sean Gregan was called into action as MK Dons threatened again, somehow extending a leg to clear Lewington’s dangerous cross when it appeared Easter was set to score amid a tangle of players.

The game again sunk into a turgid midfield battle, with neither side able to exert authority.

Stephens was booked for a foul on Mark Carrington with just over 10 minutes left and from the resulting free-kick, Easter found himself ahead of the defence and in on goal but too close to Flahavan who was able to block bravely with his body.

Athletic ended the game brightly and Hazell fired over and into the arms of Willy Gueret with a couple of clever corner and free-kick routines before the match ambled to its inevitable conclusion.




Latics’ next game: Saturday Carlisle Utd (A), Coca-Cola League One