Dickov furious

Latics manager vows to ‘sort it out’ after great give-away
ATHLETIC manager Paul Dickov read his players the riot act after what appeared to be a guaranteed three points slipped away in disappointing fashion against Exeter City last night.

Three goals to the good thanks to well-worked strikes from Aidan White, Oumare Tounkara and Chris Taylor, the home side appeared to be cruising to victory having played some superb pass-and-move football.

White and Furman also hit the woodwork for the home side, who would have moved up to fifth place in npower League One with a win.

The Grecians had other ideas, though, and fought back to claim an astonishing point with three goals inside the last 13 minutes.

Dickov admitted it felt like a defeat and kept his players in the dressing room beyond the post-match press conference, accusing them of not performing the duties asked of them.

“We switched off second half,” said Dickov, who at least maintains an unbeaten home run at Boundary Park, with only one league defeat now in the last nine games overall.

“In the first half we were ever so good because we did the basics right.

“I keep saying it in every interview and every day to the players. Do the basics right and keep your standards up. In the second half we didn’t do that.

“We work every day on team shape, on keeping the ball, on making the right decisions.

“First half, we did that and we looked a good team. When we don’t do it, we are not a good team.

“We let them get back into the game through silly mistakes. It wasn’t one or two mistakes, it was eight, nine or 10.

“We didn’t do the things we told them to do at half-time.

“We played ever so well in the first half, but it is no consolation now.

“At 3-0 up you expect to win the game, especially with our record and with the way we have been defending recently.

“We said they would come at us second half and to keep our shape.

“To keep the ball, to mix it up and put it in behind them. We did that first half and they couldn’t live with us.

“Second half, we wanted to take six or seven touches on the ball and that doesn’t work at any level.

“The sooner they learn, the better, because they had better learn.”

Dickov denied that inexperience was part of a young Athletic side’s undoing, pointing to recent sturdier winning performances against Huddersfield Town and Dagenham as evidence.

And he felt that 17-year-old full-back Carl Winchester should have been offered more protection by his team-mates.

“We made substitutions because people were cramping up and were ill,” added Dickov, who confirmed that full-back Kieran Lee should be back for the game at Rochdale on Saturday.

“They have got to retain information, not go out and do what they want.

“Exeter targeted Carl Winchester from the start and he coped ever so well.

“Second half, he had a tough time of it. But that is when you are looking for your experienced players to help him out.

“We told them to help him out, to double up on them. They didn’t do it.

“We will sort it out.