Athletic rescued by Amos heroics

Photo: Alan Howarth

MORAIS THE MERRIER . . . Filipe Morais is congratulated by an enthusiastic Dean Furman.

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Walsall 1, Athletic 1 

TWO points lost or one gained? It was probably a little of both from Athletic’s point of view.

A poor start to the clash from Paul Dickov’s men, with the bottom-of-the-table Saddlers snapping into challenges and creating a worrying number of goalscoring chances, was forgotten when Filipe Morais struck with a bolt from the blue shortly before half-time.

Up to that point, the only thing saving the visitors from being two or three goals down was the agility of on-loan goalkeeper Ben Amos.

Athletic entered the clash at the Banks’s Stadium in the knowledge that a third successive victory in npower League One would lift them into the play-off positions.

And that is where they could well be right now, had Oumare Tounkara managed to convert – and not dink a few inches wide – a big chance to put his team two goals to the good just before the hour.

It would have been rough justice on a Walsall team who were clearly eager to battle for every single ball.

As it was, right-back Darryl Westlake hammered an excellent shot past Amos to level the game in a second half in which the visitors composed themselves to come up with some more effective football.

Chris Taylor’s goalbound effort was blocked superbly by Aaron Lescott at one end and Neal Trotman performed similar heroics to deny Alex Nicholls at the other.

While Walsall fought hard to preserve their point, defending deep in the latter stages as Dickov’s men pressed for a winner, it did little to ease their relegation predicament.

Athletic, though, will have made the journey back up the M6 relatively happy that they remain right on the cusp of the play-off picture – particularly given that potentially damaging start to the clash.

Dickov made one change to the team which earned its second consecutive win against Brentford at the weekend, with Morais coming into the side up front alongside Tounkara in place of the injured Warren Feeney.

Athletic were fortunate – to say the least – to enter half-time a goal to the good.

Saddlers striker Will Grigg had three good opportunities where he was presented with only Amos between him and the Athletic goal – but the on-loan Manchester United man showed his quality, on each occasion blocking efforts with his legs.

The home side generally looked the sharper of the two sides and Jon Macken was effective as a focal point for their attacks as the visitors wobbled defensively.

Athletic almost went behind in the opening seconds. Winger Alex Nicholls was slipped in down the right channel and entered the area before shooting low, Amos getting his body and legs in the way to smother the ball after just over a minute – an echo of goals conceded early in past games at the Banks’s Stadium.

Still inside the first 10 minutes, Amos was worked twice more. First, he had to rush out to block Grigg’s effort with his feet after the striker has been played in over the top, before the influential Macken saw his follow-up drive from 18 yards pushed behind for a corner.

Athletic managed to force a chance of their own two minutes later when strong play by Taylor saw the winger use both Tounkara and Morais as decoys, skating to the right and shooting low to Jimmy Walker’s right from the edge of the area, with the goalkeeper blocking the ball behind for a corner.

Kieran Lee shot high and wide as Athletic tried to get a foothold, but too often the midfield battles were being won by Dean Smith’s men.

Grigg had a better chance than the first when put through by Macken’s flick-on, only to poke weakly at Amos’s legs.

Tounkara spun and shot three feet wide after good play by Taylor on the left, before Grigg was denied by the outstretched right leg of Amos after being put in by another simple ball through the middle.

Then came the smart right-footed strike from Morais – an effort freakily similar to that which he managed against Brentford, and from a man who was only a peripheral figure up to that point – and Athletic began to stroke the ball around with a more assured air up to the break.

Athletic started the second period with more purpose and should have extended their lead when Lee’s header into space wrong-footed centre-back Oliver Lancashire, allowing Tounkara to stretch his legs and home in on goal.

A slightly heavy touch took him into the penalty area and though he controlled his attempted finish, it rolled wide of the post in front of 331 disappointed travelling fans.

Then came Westlake’s strike, a terrific effort after Athletic had only half-cleared a cross to the far post which rolled back invitingly to the young defender.

A spell of Walsall pressure followed and Paul Black had to be alert to block Macken’s far-post effort.

Taylor and Nicholls had their respective efforts stifled, in between which Morais lashed a good long-range effort a yard or two clear of the crossbar.

Cedric Evina entered the fray and felt he was pulled back when chasing a ball through the middle, only for referee Roger East to rule there was nothing doing.

Dean Furman had to hurriedly clear a nod back from Macken inside his own area and though Athletic had more of the game as the clock kicked down, there were no further clear-cut chances as an entertaining clash drew to a fair conclusion.


Latics’ next game— Saturday (v Carlisle, away, npower League One)