Dickov: It isn’t quite falling for us

THE QUEST for a goal goes on . . . but you won’t find Paul Dickov criticising his players after the latest so-nearly show against Tranmere.

The TV test was the 12th npower League One fixture in a row in which Athletic have failed to pick up a win — and the 10th in that sequence in which the team hasn’t found the net.

But despite a number of missed chances, the overall performance was positive in front of the television cameras at Boundary Park and left Dickov believing once again that the luck is about to turn his side’s way.

“It stopped the rot a little bit and we kept a clean sheet and got a point,” Dickov said after a one-sided but goalless stalemate.

“I am disappointed for the boys. I thought they played ever so well again.

“We created lots of chances again and it isn’t quite falling for us. But we will keep doing the right things.

“You don’t become a bad team overnight. We have suffered a lack of confidence, if anything, in front of goal.

“But we have to keep going. If we keep creating chances — and I keep saying it — sooner or later, one will go in.”

Oumare Tounkara, Filipe Morais, Chris Taylor and debutant Jason Lowe all went close to claiming a winner and Dickov was pleased with the quality of play his team produced.

“I thought we were the better side in both halves,” he added.

“I can’t remember Dean Brill having a save to make.

“When we got the ball down and played football, getting it wide, we caused them all sorts of problems.

“I felt in the first 15 or 20 minutes, maybe because the cameras were here, we were rushing things.

“Once we relaxed and got the ball down we played some good stuff.”

Paul Black, who was outstanding at left-back, came off the field in the second half with an injury around the stomach and groin area and is a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Notts County.

“He has been struggling with it for a few weeks now and it just stiffened up,” said Dickov.