Horror display a distant memory

YELLOW PERIL . . . former Athletic midfielder J P Kalala cannot shake off his habit of picking up bookings.

Yeovil face a new, vibrant Latics

FORGET The Exorcist, Hellraiser or any of the Freddy Krueger films.

If you are searching for that look-away moment or for a shiver to be sent cascading down your spine, get hold of a copy of the DVD of last season's game at Yeovil.

For Athletic fans, it hardly gets more chilling.

Limp and lifeless like one of Dracula's victims, the team were sliced to ribbons at Huish Park in the penultimate match of a season which could not end quickly enough.

Safety in League One was already assured. And in a 3-0 defeat, the joint-heaviest of the season, Athletic certainly played like it.

From the side which began the game on that day, only three men — Kieran Lee, Paul Black and Dale Stephens — are likely starters when the Glovers come to Boundary Park tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

And the once-dark mood within the club could hardly be brighter than right now.

The disjointed effort at Yeovil last May was a whole universe away from that Athletic's players put in at Charlton.

Confident, assured and playing some vibrant attacking football, a draw was the least that npower League One's second-placed side deserved.

Hopes are high that the positive start under new manager Paul Dickov can continue.

Yeovil, now in their sixth consecutive season in the division despite gloomy predictions from pundits about their chances at the start of each one, have so far taken three points from as many matches to sit in 15th place.

The Glovers won their opening fixture at home to Leyton Orient 2-1 thanks to goals from strikers Dean Bowditch and Luke Freeman, the latter player on loan from Arsenal until January.

But since then, the Huish Park club's form has nose-dived.

After losing 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, Yeovil were beaten by a last-minute goal in a 2-1 loss at Bristol Rovers, before going down 2-0 at home to Hartlepool on Saturday.

That performance was described by Town manager Terry Skiverton as 'pitiful'.

“I can take being beat against Bristol Rovers because we had that passion, that commitment and trying to go forward in the right way," Skiverton said.

“But when we don't do it, it's really glaring how bad we really are.

"That showed up on Saturday. It won't happen again. It was a pitiful performance to be honest.”

Former Athletic midfielder JP Kalala was sent off against Rovers after picking up two bookings, but is now back in contention for a place in the team after serving his suspension.

Centre-back Stefan Stam, who made 112 appearances for Athletic between 2005 and 2009, has yet to play this season but has been a fixture on Yeovil's substitute bench.