Tired Latics crowded out
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 16 February 2011
Athletic 0, Carlisle 1
Fans answer rallying call, but team fails to deliver
FANS flocked to Boundary Park on a night that proved Oldham Athletic can still be a big draw – but most left disappointed following a display from the home team that fizzled out after a promising opening.
Craig Curran scored the knockout blow, converting a Ben Marshall cross late on for an impressive Carlisle outfit who hustled, harried and ultimately outplayed Paul Dickov’s men in front of an impressive crowd of 8,564.
The result was just reward for Greg Abbott’s side, who entered the game with a poor record of no wins in their last four matches.
And in many ways it represented a turning of the tables for Athletic, who have performed a similar ‘job’ on rival npower League One sides on plenty of occasions this season.
Perhaps it was down to tiredness from the gruelling derby draw at Huddersfield three days earlier.
But whatever the reason, Athletic failed to fire. Front two Oumare Tounkara and Reuben Reid had disappointing games as the ball failed to stick in attacking areas.
While Chris Taylor – captain for the night in the absence of suspended Reuben Hazell and the ill Dale Stephens – provided plenty of energy in a central role, there was also the sense that the home team badly missed the influence of Stephens, a player who is capable of calming down even the most frantic of games from midfield.
For Athletic, it was simply one of those nights when little went right, on the field at least.
Assistant manager Gerry Taggart will also face an awkward wait to see the fall-out from his late and ill-judged intervention on to the field.
The former Leicester City centre-back waded in as players jostled each other following a tussle on the ground between home substitute Warren Feeney and Carlisle centre-back Lubo Michalik.
Arms were thrown around and visiting midfielder Tom Taiwo bore the brunt to end up with a blooded face as Taggart raced from his technical area, apparently to lend a hand to an outnumbered Lewis Alessandra.
The ramifications of his actions will no doubt become clear when the governing body receive the report of referee Mark Haywood, who produced no cards to players following the incident while sending Taggart to the stands.
Andy Todd made his starting debut for Dickov for the missing Hazell and after a rousing rendition of Nessun Dorma from pre-match singers Jon Christos and Jenny Williams – the Boundary Park PA system was tested beyond its very limits by the song’s climax – the home side began in confident mood.
A good chance was fashioned inside the opening 90 seconds.
Dean Furman was slipped in down the right side of the six-yard box by Tounkara and instead of trying a shot from a tight angle, the midfielder cut a ball back which found Reuben Reid off-balance and scuffing a couple of yards wide from close range.
At the other end, Francois Zoko couldn’t get enough on his header as Ben Amos charged out to try to get something on a good cross from Ben Marshall.
It was mainly the home side doing the pressing at this stage and after Furman was just unable to find the room to shoot as the ball fell invitingly in the centre of the area, Filipe Morais cut in and belted a shot which Adam Collin parried out at his near post.
From the midpoint of the half up to half-time, though, Abbott’s men were in the ascendancy.
James Berrett’s close-range header was well held low by Amos, Marshall ripped a fierce shot which flew only a yard over the far post from long range and Athletic’s custodian had to be alert to race clear of his goal and hack away after a mis-control from Todd.
Cedric Evina showed how dangerous he can be by surging forward in a central position from halfway, striking a lovely 25-yard shot which forced Collin to parry behind low down to his right.
But the Cumbrians had three of the four remaining goal scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes.
Michalik volleyed a James Berrett corner and forced a quite brilliant right-handed reaction save from the busy Amos, Liam Noble scuffed his shot narrowly wide from the centre of the area and Taiwo collected a clearance and struck a 20-yard effort that whizzed only a yard wide of Amos’s right post with the ’keeper beaten.
Off-colour Athletic were starved of possession, though Taylor went close when connecting with Aidan White’s right-wing free-kick, heading only a foot wide when he appeared to be slightly impeded in his run for the ball.
As heavy rain lashed down, the second half was a much quieter affair.
A lovely touch by White sent in Tounkara for an angled shot which was parried to safety by Collin two minutes in and Neal Trotman was in the wars soon after, sustaining a bloody nose after an aerial challenge with Marshall.
Evina was booked for a lunge on the busy Marshall and opposing captain Frank Simek was cautioned for handball shortly after the hour as both sides struggled to get going again.
The excellent Michalik cleared well as Tounkara tried to spin in the penalty area and, at the other end, Noble might have done better with a half-volley chance.
Amos was in action twice, first tipping over a Simek cross which threatened to dip in at the far post and then gathering a Peter Murphy header off a Berrett free-kick.
Feeney tried a first-time effort which didn’t have enough power before Carlisle took the lead.
Evina lost possession and with Trotman dragged out of position, Marshall’s far-post cross was converted by Curran.
Morais was Athletic’s likeliest man to provide an equaliser and he went close after the Taggart incident, forcing a flying save from Collin from his fierce left-foot drive which was heading for the far corner.
Latics’ next game— Saturday (v Bristol Rovers, away, npower League One)
