Gutless Latics go down too easily

Photo: Pictures by Alan Howarth

OUMARE Tounkara tries to get a shot away.

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Athletic 0, Peterborough 5

RICKY Hatton won’t have been impressed.
When claiming the IBF light-welterweight world title by seeing off fight favourite Kostya Tszyu six years ago, every last drop of courage was wrung from his melon-sized heart.

Paul Dickov’s pal doesn’t take to the ring any more. But if any of the boxers from Hatton’s own Hyde stable showed a similar lack of guts displayed by Athletic here at Boundary Park, they wouldn’t last long with ‘The Hitman’.

On the pitch to perform half-time draw duties, Hatton was famous for tucking into a full English breakfast on the morning of his fights.

Against a very potent Peterborough side, Athletic made their own meal of the second half; unfortunately, it was a real dog’s dinner.

Five goals in the space of just over half an hour — two of which came from 24-goal star Craig Mackail-Smith — earned Peterborough three points.

Three of those strikes originated in dead ball situations as the heralded home defence, which has been earning recent points given the distinct lack of goals at the other end, melted away in the face of some slick attacking play from the Football League’s most potent force.

Up to the 49th minute, despite not fashioning a true scoring chance the hosts were exchanging blows quite happily with Darren Ferguson’s side.

Then Chris Taylor unwisely tried to control and turn on the edge of his own area only to be

dispossessed.

George Boyd found David Ball — a former player with Hatton’s true favourites Manchester City — who set up Tommy Rowe with a cutback for a simple side-foot finish.

It was a big blow. But it shouldn’t have been the knockout punch it turned out to be.

Despite having the impressive Dale Stephens back in the centre of midfield, Athletic’s team descended into head-shaking introspection. Hesitancy and a lack of leadership and adequate decision-making cost them dear.

Three minutes after the opening strike, Cedric Evina blocked behind a Ball drive only for unmarked Rowe to zip around the back post to meet Grant McCann’s cross. The ball was nodded back into the middle right on to the forehead of Ball, who couldn’t miss from three yards out.

Oumare Tounkara badly scuffed his shot when in a good position at the other end of the pitch with Athletic’s best opportunity of the game, and the cloud hanging over the home team grew darker. The miss was followed by Tounkara’s early withdrawal in favour of Ryan Brooke.

By contrast with the home team, United were buzzing.

A third goal arrived just after the hour via a simple Gabriel Zakuani header from a corner by the elegant McCann, after Boyd and Ball had gone close to further increasing the lead.

The movement and commitment of Peterborough’s attacking players to pull defenders out of position was a cut above that which Athletic managed.

And with Mackail-Smith always eager to play on the last defender’s shoulder in a bid to use his searing pace and power, they had the cutting edge that Dickov’s men are crying out for.

McCann’s through ball from his own half sent the prolific striker on his way for the first of his brace, slotting confidently past the exposed Ben Amos as Athletic’s defensive line fragmented.

The fifth came seven minutes from full-time and was the best of the lot. Neal Trotman got his head on a McCann free-kick, but as the ball looped and fell inside the area, Mackail-Smith spanked a furious left-footed volley past Amos’s right hand before the ‘keeper could even see it.

An exhausted and exasperated home support could only applaud.

Before the break, Athletic were far from poor.

Stephens returned to the staring line-up in place of the suspended Dean Furman, with Aidan White and Tounkara also beginning the game in a bid to provide more threat in front of goal.

Strike duo Warren Feeney and Reuben Reid were dropped to the substitutes’ bench.

Athletic started in bubbly fashion with Stephens in particular popping passes around as the team snapped into tackles and competed efficiently.

Boyd went close with a left-foot shot inside the opening minute to sound a warning and midway through the half, the alert Evina cleared the danger from Ball’s cutback.

Lively in a front role, Filipe Morais dragged a shot a couple of yards wide before Sam Mantom got underneath his shot following some attractive build-up play by Chris Taylor, drifting in from the left, and Morais.

The Portuguese might have opted to shoot rather than offer up a blocked cross when finding space in the area and at the other end, Amos had to be alert on the half-hour mark to block behind Ball’s cross.

Mackail-Smith scuffed a half-chance and Evina dragged his cross-shot in front of Athletic players who didn’t gamble on the possibility, leaving the game goalless but well poised at half-time. What was to come was predicted by nobody.

But one certainty is that Athletic need to quickly find the desire to fight their way out of this slump, if all the talk of a play-off push isn’t to quickly sound very hollow.




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