Furman targets strong finish

Dean Furman: upbeat

DEAN Furman is resolutely upbeat about the remainder of Athletic’s season.

Another point in a scoreless draw with Charlton takes Athletic up to 51 points in npower League One — a total which almost certainly precludes the possibility of relegation.

Scoring proved too tall a task even against a side reduced to 10 men for just short of an hour and Furman admitted that it was frustrating not being able to make a breakthrough.

At the same time, the midfielder — outstanding in the middle of the park and a favourite to pick up player-of-the-year gongs in two weeks’ time — was pleased at going a third game without defeat, with Athletic claiming a clean sheet on each occasion.

“We are on a three-match unbeaten run now and we would like to take it game-by-game,” said the Cape Town-born midfielder, an enthusiastic supporter, via his Twitter account, of South Africa compatriot and last night’s Masters winner Charl Schwartzel.

“It is another clean sheet, Dean Brill made a great save at 0-0 and he is looking really strong in goal. So it was good to keep the unbeaten run going.

“We have our own little goals in the camp, we are delighted with another clean sheet and now have the opportunity to keep the unbeaten run going.

“We are just looking to finish strongly. It has been a long, hard season. We have played a lot of games and it will be nice to have a little break and come back fitter and stronger.”

Furman referred back to a similar task against short-handed Plymouth in October in which his side claimed all three points thanks to a pair of injury-time goals which made the final score 4-2.

A repeat show failed to materialise this time, though, and the ex-Rangers and Chelsea player admitted that his team-mates sometimes didn’t do enough to get on the end of crosses while up against a massed defence.

“The game was quite scrappy until Christian (Dailly) got sent off and after that we really controlled it against 10 men,” Furman added.

“It is always difficult to break that down. Chris Taylor in particular was excellent. They doubled up on him, but that didn’t matter.

“He got at his man and put some great balls in. We just need to work harder at getting on the end of them.”

Athletic’s result represented the only goalless draw in the whole of the Football League on Saturday.