We could have nicked three points — Dickov

ATHLETIC boss Paul Dickov’s delight at claiming a draw from a tough short away trip to Huddersfield was tinged with regret — that the visitors didn’t come away with a win.

A blood-and-thunder local derby between two teams in the npower League One play-off zone ended in stalemate.

Few clear chances presented themselves for either side. Ben Amos produced a brilliant diving save to push out Anthony Pilkington’s free-kick in the first half and, after the break, Athletic went close when Reuben Reid dug out a shot which was cleared off the line by Peter Clarke.

Dickov praised his side’s rugged defending in the face of an aerial bombardment from a surprisingly direct Huddersfield side.

“We knew it would be tough with the way they play,” said Dickov, whose team stay in sixth spot in the table. “We had done our homework.

“But we were ready for it and I am absolutely delighted with the boys, who I thought were excellent.

“We worked our socks off and our defending was top-class from front to back.

“Though they put us under pressure with the long balls, I can’t remember any clear-cut chances and that is testament to our whole team.

“Our two centre-backs coped with everything which came their way and if anything in the second half, we had the better chances.

“While we are happy, I said to the boys that I am a little bit disappointed that we didn’t nick it in the end. But this is a tough place to come to.”

Chris Taylor started the game in an unfamiliar central midfield role alongside Dean Furman, as a result of illness which kept out Dale Stephens for the first time this season.

Taylor worked hard in the middle of the pitch before seeing his involvement ended by a crude tackle 14 minutes from full-time.

Dickov felt that Terriers midfielder Lee Peltier should have been booked for an over-the-top lunge which went unpunished moments after Cedric Evina was shown a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Pilkington.

“Dale was ill and Chris recently has shown us a lot of energy,” Dickov said.

“He is good on the ball and when you are missing Dale you need someone to put their foot on it and try to create something for you.

“Chris was magnificent for me despite not having a lot of the ball.

“I don’t know if anybody noticed, but some of the work he did off the ball, getting up and down the pitch, putting tackles in and tracking his men was fantastic.

“It was a terrible tackle (that injured Taylor). In the initial tackle Cedric Evina was booked and the boy has then gone in over the top of him.

“We won’t go into that (the referee’s performance) as I will end up getting myself into trouble.

“Both myself and (Huddersfield manager) Lee (Clark) were tearing our hair out on the touchline with some of the decisions that were going on.”


Latics’ next game — Tomorrow (v Carlisle, home, npower League One)
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