Let’s lift it

We can’t allow our heads to drop — Furman
ATHLETIC captain Dean Furman has urged his side to hit back hard when going a goal behind.

Sheffield United netted twice in six second-half minutes to claim a 2-0 victory at Boundary Park in the opening npower League One game of the season.

The home side were visibly deflated after Harry McGuire’s header from a corner found its way past Alex Cisak and into the net to end the stalemate.

Conceding first isn’t a situation this young Athletic side are used to. Last term, only three sides let in the opening goal of the game on fewer occasions than Paul Dickov’s men (16 times in 46 league games).

But Furman wants the lesson to be learned quickly: “You never want to start the season off on a defeat, but we are more disappointed with the two goals we conceded — and the manner of our performance after conceding those goals,” admitted the new skipper, who took on the armband for the first time in a league clash.

“We have got a young team and it is important we learn to take goals on the chin.

“We have to instill that bit of belief and dig in harder when we go behind.

“It is of major importance. We need to learn and learn fast.

“If anything, we need to get up and go even harder when we are a goal down.

“It seemed that as a team, we didn’t fight hard enough after that goal went in.

“But we know that. We had a talk as a team and we will pick ourselves up.”

Athletic face Carlisle United at home tomorrow (7.45pm) in the first round of the Carling Cup, another side smarting from a loss as Lee Hughes netted in Notts County’s 3-0 win at Brunton Park.

Furman himself went close to pulling a goal back late on with a header from a Matthew Lund corner which was blocked on the line, while Zander Diamond also narrowly failed to find the net for the home team.

“We were toe-to-toe with them in the first half and there was nothing in the game,” added Furman.

“We felt we were a threat at set pieces, so the major disappointment is that we let in a goal ourselves on a set play.

“The boys were a bit down in the changing rooms after the game, but we pick ourselves up and will be raring to go.

“There were some positives and we have to take what we have learned and put it right quickly against Carlisle."

Lund will miss the Carlisle game after confirmation was received on Saturday evening that he is needed for Northern Ireland under-21s’ Euro qualifier against the Faroe Islands on Wednesday.

Kirk Millar and Carl Winchester are both on standby for that game and may be needed in case of players pulling out.

Dickov, who praised the impact of lively striker substitute Josh Parker against the Blades, is urging his side to pull out all the stops tomorrow.

“I want a good cup run and I want to win every game,” he said.

“It will be another tough game for us and I don’t want players feeling sorry for themselves.

“They have got to realise they are not kids any more — they have got to be men.”