Learning curve for everyone — Dickov

HOPING TO BEAT THE FREEZE . . . blankets cover the playing surface.

ATHLETIC need to learn the lessons from the draw against Exeter City — and that goes for the management, too.

Three goals conceded inside the final 13 minutes at Boundary Park on Tuesday night threatened to put a downer on promising recent progress made by the team under boss Paul Dickov.

While the final result felt like a defeat — inevitable, after Athletic had been firing on all cylinders at 3-0 up — Dickov admits he now views the game with a clearer mind than that with which he entered the post-match press conference.

And with a huge derby clash with Rochdale at Spotland tomorrow, the Scot is keen that his men don’t forget about the positive aspects of what was at times a mesmerising effort against Exeter.

“There was a bit of disappointment, but a lot of encouragement to come out of it as well,” said Dickov, speaking about the 3-3 draw which preserved Athletic’s unbeaten home record.

“For me, the most dangerous part of this job is speaking to the media straight after the game.

“Emotions are running high. I am an enthusiastic and passionate person.

“The main thing we have got to do now is look at what went wrong and put it right.

“And to be fair to this group of players, they want to learn.

“They are a young bunch and we are a young management team. We are all a bit inexperienced and we will all make mistakes.

“The best people in football learn from those mistakes.

"I always try and look at the positives as well. In the first half against Exeter there was some of the best football not only since I have been here, but some of the best football we have seen in a long, long time.

“It just shows what we are capable of. We keep stressing to the boys that no matter who you play against, you will be put under pressure.

“It is how you handle it. We lost our shape a bit, possibly because a bit of tiredness came in.

“Don’t underestimate the effort they put in on Saturday at Dagenham as well, but we will all learn from it — from me down to the players.”

Rochdale stand between Athletic and a place in the npower League One play-offs come Saturday evening, with Dickov only tasting defeat once in his last nine league outings.

“If we get a result tomorrow we are right in the mix,” he added.

“When I got the job if you had told me come the end of November about the position we would be in, the performances we would put in and the way the players are learning and getting better every week I would have taken it.”






Spotland weather watch



A PITCH inspection could take place at Spotland tomorrow morning, ahead of Athletic’s trip to Rochdale. Both clubs have put covers on the playing surface in a bid to beat the plummeting temperatures.



Athletic have urged fans to keep an eye on the club’s official website for updates.