Truth be told in numbers game

Photo: Alan Howarth

TWO AGAINST ONE . . . Athletic forward Filipe Morais finds himself outnumbered close to the touchline.

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Bournemouth 3, Athletic 0
THE statistics make grim reading.

No goals in six matches, eight conceded in the last two and no three points to enhance a post-match pint since the start of last month.

Far less driven men than Paul Dickov would be forgiven for despairing given such an oppressive set of numbers.

Stats never tell the full truth, but the correct impression is given in this instance. Athletic are a failing team at present.

At the start of the desert-dry run in and around the opposition goal, opportunities were at least arriving with regularity while defensively things were hunky-dory.

Now — never more so than at in-form Bournemouth, who won this game at a canter — it is going wrong for Dickov’s men at both ends of the field.

At Dean Court, starting front pair Warren Feeney and Oumare Tounkara could barely muster a shot between them. When attacking, Athletic’s current lack of confidence appears to translate into a worrying reluctance to get into areas of the field which can do damage to the opposition.

Defensively, the continuing lack of concentration and aggression when dealing with crosses into the penalty area contributed to the first goal from Danny Hollands.

The latter two, scored by Michael Symes two minutes into the second half and on-loan substitute Lauri Dalla Valle with 10 minutes to go, were hardly monuments to back-line brilliance either.

And in between a sprinkling of pretty but all-too-brief spells of slick passing from Athletic, Bournemouth’s midfield had a stranglehold on this clash for the majority of the game.

Hunting the ball down in packs — just as Athletic did when at their best earlier this season — the Cherries pressed well and looked to spring forward quickly at every given opportunity.

On this evidence, it is fair to suggest that divisions higher than League One have wingers to the left-right pairing of Marc Pugh and Liam Feeney plying their trade.

The tricky former player set up his side’s first two goals here, via a corner and a through-ball which split the visiting defence like a ripe banana, while the latter was a bundle of energy and intent, firing a pair of dangerous shots towards goal and forcing a quite brilliant fingertip stop from Athletic ’keeper Ben Amos.

Dickov made three changes to the side hammered 5-0 by Peterborough a week earlier in a bid to change flagging fortunes around.

Out went Cedric Evina, Aidan White and Sam Mantom and into the side came Paul Black, Ritchie Jones and ex-Cherries favourite Warren Feeney.

The initial signs were promising as the visitors started the game the better side. Filipe Morais had a couple of half-opportunities to provide telling passes into the area and a sweet left-to-right move swept across the pitch, ending with Chris Taylor’s cross which had a touch too much on it for Jones arriving at the far post.

Bournemouth had the first shot in anger after seven minutes and Amos did well to tip right-back Adam Smith’s 25-yard dipper over the crossbar.

The home side came on strongly and Liam Feeney fizzed a superb right-footed shot which was heading inside the far post but for Amos’s agility.

Consecutive corner kicks followed, taken by Pugh. From the second, the first goal arrived.

Symes got in front of his man to flick the ball on ahead of the near post and the ball landed right on the forehead of the onrushing, Hollands who hit the target decisively from the middle of goal.

The goal was slightly fortuitous and Athletic’s initial response to the setback was good.

Black embarked on a surging run and Taylor’s sprint in on goal was only halted by an offside flag.

At the other end, Pugh and Feeney hit drives narrowly wide of the goal and Anton Robinson found the midriff of Amos with his effort, while a goalmouth scramble almost paid dividends for Dickov’s men before half-time but for some stoic defending, Tounkara hitting a weak shot at Shwan Jalal and Morais firing well over while off-balance.

The one thing Athletic desperately needed was a good start to the second half.

And that is what they got, up until a defensive calamity allowed Symes a clear path to run on to Pugh’s threaded through-ball.

Todd gave chase but couldn’t get near the big striker who collected his thoughts and calmly slotted the ball across Amos to double Bournemouth’s advantage.

Athletic’s frustration at the latest setback manifested itself in a booking for Dale Stephens, who subsequently struck a free-kick from long range a yard high and wide of goal.

Black produced a powerful angled drive that was off-target, but real chances were proving difficult for the visitors to carve out.

Taylor’s cross was a little too high for substitute Reuben Reid’s head and it was the same story when Kieran Lee bent an excellent cross into the box, the former Rotherham striker unable to get between two defenders to get on the end of it.

Tounkara was also received a yellow card for an innocuous foul before the icing on the cake for Lee Bradbury’s side.

Substitute Dalla Valle had only been on the field for a matter of 10 minutes when he took ownership of fellow replacement Steve Fletcher’s flick-on and the Finn, on loan from Fulham, lashed home a 20-yard rocket with his left foot with no defenders close enough to shut down the chance.

Morais had a 30-yard shot which passed three yards wide, but some confident keep-ball from Bournemouth closed out the fixture.


Latics next game— tomorrow, Sheffield Weds (home), npower League One