Fresh start for Feeney

WARREN Feeney, in action against Plymouth last season, is on trial at Peter Reid’s Pilgrims.

WARREN Feeney could be about to end his miserable spell at Athletic by joining npower League Two side Plymouth Argyle.

The 30-year-old trained with the Pilgrims this morning after being given permission to leave Boundary Park on trial, giving manager Peter Reid the chance to take a look at him up close.

Should Feeney end up signing for Argyle, it would mark the end of a deeply unsatisfactory stay at Athletic, which has failed to yield a single league goal for the Northern Ireland international.

Currently in the second half of his two-year contract, the former Stockport, Luton and Cardiff striker’s form suffered in the early part of last season due to niggling injuries and international call-ups which restricted his availability.

Feeney’s only goal in Athletic colours came in a losing cause at Accrington in the first round of last season’s FA Cup.

The home side won 3-2, with Feeney’s goal proving to be nothing more than a consolation.

The player himself admitted that the 2010-11 season had been a “big disappointment” from a personal point of view and returned to pre-season training lighter in weight.

But with striking competition in front of him in the shape of Reuben Reid, Matt Smith and Ryan Brooke, added to manager Paul Dickov’s ambition to bring in another front man before the start of the season, the writing was always on the wall for Feeney’s Athletic future.

Should he manage to get Feeney off the wage bill, it could strengthen Dickov’s hand when it comes to contract negotiations for a new striker.

Athletic completed their pre-season programme with a 1-0 win at Fleetwood on Saturday.

On his first showing for the club, midfielder Matthew Lund settled well into his central role alongside captain Dean Furman and it was the on-loan Stoke man’s set-piece cross that led to Zander Diamond’s decisive strike.

“Matty is a good footballer,” Dickov said of his new recruit. “He is a young boy who has not had a lot of football, but his passing is good and he is technically very gifted on the ball.

“We want to bring quality into the squad and Matty has definitely got that.”