Feelgood Factor
Reporter: Matthew Chambers at Prenton Park
Date published: 09 August 2010
Tranmere 1, Athletic 2
IT WAS impossible to escape the feeling that Athletic were destined to win at Prenton Park.
The power of new manager Paul Dickov’s healthy approach to public relations was visible for all to see.
Nearly 2,000 fans – not an awful lot fewer than attended some home matches last season – were present at Tranmere to watch the infectious Scot take charge of his first competitive game.
It wasn’t blind optimism that inspired the travelling army to fill up their cars, either.
Pre-season saw a handful of positive signings arrive, restricted budget permitting.
And good efforts in friendlies against Wigan, Bolton and Preston further enhanced the hopes of a more enjoyable npower League One campaign in 2010-11.
It followed that even despite the resignation of Athletic’s main financial backers Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal, plus the impending sale of promising striker Tom Eaves, everything pointed to the club being well prepared for a good start to the season.
Thankfully, it transpired – thanks in no small part to Dale Stephens.
Looking at this confident, energetic and elegant central midfielder go about his business these days it is difficult to imagine that he was out of the first-team picture at Boundary Park for so long.
The 21-year-old simply looks the part. And if he can carry on striking the ball as well as he did for his two goals here – the second, achieved in the second half as Athletic broke forward, was an exercise in composure – then this season will be a huge one for him.
Dean Furman carried on where he left off in the friendlies with another energetic performance alongside the former Bury man.
And although debutant Ritchie Jones was quiet on the right, Lewis Alessandra’s spark and direct approach on the opposite wing more than made up for it.
Up front, Warren Feeney produced a performance in the mould of his manager, a bundle of enthusiasm with his darting runs down the channels.
And big on-loan Sunderland striker Oumare Tounkara did enough to suggest that with a few games behind him, the French striker could be a useful weapon at this level.
And defensively, as a unit, Athletic were stoic in combating the aerial threat of the huge Enoch Shownmi as the struggling home side threw ball after ball into the box.
Despite all these positives, though, there will be no walking on water just yet.
These are early days of the season and while Dickov’s men impressed in patches against a poor Tranmere outfit and did enough to comfortably win the game, a slight wobble allowed Ian Thomas-Moore to head home a minute from the end of normal time.
Dickov chose not to name himself among a matchday squad which was missing influential injured pair Sean Gregan and Chris Taylor.
Centre-back convert Jason Jarrett took up a place at the heart of the rearguard alongside Reuben Hazell, who continues to provide a rock-like presence in defence, as Athletic played out a frantic opening to the clash.
Once things settled down, the visitors began to look the more threatening side and Alessandra had a couple of decent long-range efforts cutting in from the left wing, one of which forced Rovers goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen into a diving save at his near post.
Tranmere came close to opening the scoring in the 13th minute.
Impressive left-back Aaron Cresswell swung in a cross and Showunmi eluded his marker to plant a firm header narrowly wide of the far post with Dean Brill well beaten.
Athletic grabbed their first goal from a free-kick. It appeared that Jarrett had been fouled just inside the area as he wriggled free of a challenge following a corner, but referee Graham Salisbury instead judged the offence to be millimetres outside.
No matter. Up stepped Stephens to give Nielsen ‘the eyes’, shaping for a shot over the wall and into the far corner and instead skilfully planting the ball low to the goalkeeper’s right.
Brill had to be alert to halt Thomas-Moore following a slick turn in the area, but though Athletic took their collective foot off the gas at times in the opening period, there were no further scares.
The visitors started the second half well and a lovely back-to-front passing move ended with Alessandra tamely shooting low and straight at Nielsen.
Shortly after the hour, Tranmere produced some rare good football which ended with Joss Labadie heading a few feet wide from Thomas-Moore’s cross.
Alessandra had another attempt which Nielsen patted down at his own feet, but the territory was beginning to belong to Tranmere.
The release valve opened when Feeney sped away down the left, squaring the ball to Stephens who adjusted his body before rifling home from 20 yards.
Tounkara almost grabbed a debut goal when Nielsen and centre-back Nick Wood got in a flap, the ball dropping at the striker’s feet only for his bouncing effort to be cleared out of the six-yard box by Ian Goodison.
The same player then set up Thomas-Moore’s neat looping headed goal by heading back across the area.
But despite late penalty claims against Ritchie Jones for a robust challenge on Labadie, and a late set-to which saw three players booked, Dickov’s men held on for a deserved victory.
The boys did me proud — Dickov
ONE game played, three points in the bag and a 100-per-cent winning record as a manager.
Paul Dickov could be forgiven for thinking that being in charge of Athletic is easy.
But though he was delighted to claim a 2-1 victory over Tranmere at Prenton Park thanks to a pair of sweet Dale Stephens strikes, Dickov isn’t about to rest easy.
Athletic, who controlled the majority of the game, will face better sides than depleted Rovers in npower League One this season and to achieve success against superior outfits Dickov believes he will need complete concentration for the full 90 minutes.
“I was delighted with the boys,” said the Athletic boss, who handed club debuts to Ritchie Jones, Warren Feeney, on-loan Oumare Tounkara and substitute striker Dean Kelly.
“I thought we played well and deserved the three points without quite hitting the heights we are capable of.
“Tranmere made it very hard for us, as we knew they would. To come away from home and pick up three points at any time is great, never mind in the first game of the season.
“We knew Les (Parry, Tranmere’s manager) would have them up for it, and they were.
“In the first half hour we were excellent, but then in the rest of the half we got a bit sloppy which didn’t please us. We keep saying that if we are going to do well, we need to be at it all the time.
“We were a bit sloppy for a spell in the second half as well but got back into it and at 2-0, we were comfortable.
“They scored at the end which gave us an uncomfortable couple of minutes.
“The biggest thing that disappointed us about it was that it came from a set piece, which we work hard at both attacking and defending.
“But it happens. And in my first game as manager we came away and got three points, so I am not going to moan too much.”
Dickov paid tribute to two-goal hero Stephens, who matched his entire tally for last season in one impressive 90-minute performance.
His first came from a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area which wrong-footed Gunnar Nielsen, while his second was a peach of a strike as Athletic broke forward.
“He is a clever player Dale, we all know that,” Dickov added. “I actually asked him if he had shanked it in, but he tells me he didn’t!
“They were two good goals. We are constantly telling him to have a shot, as he gets in some great positions. He is box-to-box and his work ethic is fantastic.
“He is a very, very good footballer as well and we want him to produce more shots because technically, he is probably the best player at the club.”
Stephens’ second goal turned out to be vital in the context of Ian Thomas-Moore’s late header and it was celebrated enthusiastically in front of an army of 1,764 Athletic fans who had made the journey.
“They were fantastic,” said Dickov of the loud supporters. “A lot of the boys commented that it was the most away fans they have seen since they have been at the club.
“It was important the lads went over and showed them at the end how much they appreciated them.” Tranmere manager Parry felt that there was little in the game.
"We've had a lot of injuries which have been disruptive but it is no good making excuses,” he said. “They took their chances. We did not. It is as simple as that.”
