Luck deserts Latics

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HAWORTH

CLOSE CALL . . . Athletic full-back Kieran Lee looks on as his last-gasp effort slips agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

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Athletic 0, Brighton 1
ANYONE got a spare four-leaf clover or horse shoe?

If so, head down to Boundary Park and you might just be welcomed with open arms.

For long spells on Saturday, Athletic out-played the best team in npower League One.

How unlucky it was, then, when Brighton substitute Ashley Barnes fired home the only goal of the game after 65 minutes when team-mate Glenn Murray, retreating from the penalty area, was at least two yards offside.

It was the visitors’ only shot on target.

But that’s how it goes for you when in desperate need of a victory — something Paul Dickov’s side haven’t enjoyed in 10 matches.

Shots that would have found their way into the net at the start of the year trickle wide; offside flags fail to materialise when you think they will; and until you’re out of the rut, you can forget about penalty decisions going your way.

The home team could have had two.

Marcos Painter appeared to handle the excellent Kieran Lee’s first half delivery, and Jean-Yves Mvoto, back from Sunderland for his second loan spell at the club, went down under the challenge of Gordon Greer with time running out.

While Athletic’s current plight can by no means be attributed purely to bad luck, one gets the feeling their long-awaited triumph will come courtesy of an injury-time deflection off the backside of an opposition defender.

With talisman Chris Taylor missing due to a virus, Reuben Reid and Ryan Brooke led the line for the hosts and, despite the reassuring presence of Mvoto, who was among the substitutes, teenager James Tarkowski retained his place at the heart of the defence.

Dean Brill took his place between the sticks in place of Ben Amos, who has returned to parent club Manchester United.

What will please the Boundary Park faithful the most is the return, from the very first whistle, of the kind of energy and verve that made Dickov’s men the surprise package of the season earlier this term.

They started on the front foot and with Dean Furman and Dale Stephens working overtime in the engine room, wide men Aidan White and in particular Filipe Morais enjoyed the freedom to roam.

Tarkowski, seemingly relishing his chance to impress at senior level, headed down a Stephens free-kick into the six yard box, but Murray got there ahead of everyone and cleared his lines.

Despite the fact Gus Poyet’s side lacked fluency all afternoon, they are obviously top of the table for a reason, probably thanks in no small part to their eye for a shot, however rare they come along.

That danger was demonstrated after 10 minutes when, with their first attempt, striker Chris Wood unleashed a left-footed strike on the turn which flew inches wide of Brill’s post.

Stephens, who put in an energetic shift, had the bit between his teeth and saw his 25-yard piledriver beaten away by Casper Ankergren just a minute later.

Smelling blood, Morais demanded a piece of the action. First his left foot attempt was well blocked by Adam El-Abd and then from even further out, the Portuguese produced a stinging shot which went the wrong side of the post.

After Lee’s handball appeal was waved away, Morais produced arguably the best cross of the game half-an-hour into the contest.

Brushing his way past Painter, he clipped a devilish ball into the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ between goalkeeper and defender, but Inigo Calderon somehow got an outstretched leg onto it at the expense of a corner.

And that man Morais made an exhibition of Painter and Radostin Kishishev down the right before shooting straight at Ankergren, and followed it up with a fine pass to Lee, whose low cross failed to pick out a team-mate.

Just before the interval there was time for Murray to rattle Brill’s crossbar with a powerful header, after good work from Bennett.

Athletic picked up where they left off after the break.

White weaved his way in from the left and tried to bend home a right foot shot, but got his angles wrong.

Lee slipped in Brooke down the right channel, and the striker was beaten to the ball by Ankergren by a whisker.

Just five minutes after the restart Poyet’s patience snapped. The former Chelsea man replaced Wood and Kishishev with Barnes and Gary Dicker.

The high-flying Seagulls were always going to gain a foothold at some point, and their most extended spell of possession arrived just before the goal.

The warning signs were there after an hour, when Bennett’s clever header landed on the foot of Murray, who directed the ball inches wide with Brill powerless to influence the outcome.

Cedric Evina replaced White as Dickov looked to up the tempo.

But Brighton produced the solitary strike, and biggest talking point, of the game.

As Murray — occupying the attention of Athletic’s backline — trotted out of the box, Liam Bridcutt’s ball over the top fell kindly to Barnes, who produced a magnificent left-footed finish from 18 yards.

Dickov, clearly stunned, stood with his arms aloft.

Even with 25 minutes left on the clock the supporters and, to a certain extent, the players had that ‘here we go again’ look.

Oumare Tounkara replaced Brooke and soon linked well with Reid.

One last throw of the tactical dice saw Mvoto come on for the fading Morais with 13 minutes remaining. The giant centre back was told to lead a three-man frontline, flanked by Tounkara and Reid.

And Dickov was incensed when the Frenchman collapsed under the challenge of Greer in the area, which went without punishment.

A temporary role reversal saw Mvoto turn provider. He produced an inch-perfect cross to the back post, but Tounkara directed his header just wide of the target.

Lee looked to have levelled matters in the 90th minute. Latching on to Tounkara’s clever low pass, he clipped the ball past Ankergren from the tightest of angles on the right.

But, as he prepared to celebrate with the fans, the ball crept behind for a goal-kick.

The hosts plugged away in the five minutes of added time, but Stephens volleyed wildly over the bar when composure was the order of the day, and Furman’s shot from 14 yards was blocked by Greer.




Latics’ next game: Tomorrow — Colchester Utd (away), npower League One