Latics let aspirations slip

Photo: Alan Howarth

crunch time: Athletic striker Shefki Kuqi is stopped in his tracks by Brentford defender Miguel Llera.

Athletic 0, Brentford 2
MEDIOCRITY. This French word that has in recent years planted itself in the football lexicon — normally qualified by ‘mid-table’ — and has a root in Latin meaning the state of being halfway up a mountain.

It describes Athletic perfectly at present. When Paul Dickov’s men are up, they are up.

Wins at Walsall and Orient were achieved through hard graft and some snazzy counter-attacking and before Brentford pooped the party at Boundary Park, the play-off places in npower League One were but two points away.

And when they are down, they are down.

Defeats at Yeovil and Colchester were dispiriting and emphatic and as recently as two weeks ago, the home draw with Stevenage provoked a few mutterings of discontent among the home supporters.

At the moment, Athletic are neither halfway up nor down.

To improve on the current position of 12th in the table, consistency is the watchword for Dickov. He knows that if Athletic let their energy and concentration levels drop by only a fraction, in a division as competitive as this, they will come unstuck.

This was exactly what happened against Brentford — a side managed by Dickov’s former Manchester City striking partner, Uwe Rosler, who have themselves managed to sustain a run of away victories which now numbers four in succession.

Athletic had chances to score. Reuben Reid’s strength to get past the challenge of Miguel Llera — later sent off — was followed up by a well-placed angled drive towards the far post which Brentford ’keeper Richard Lee did superbly to push out.

In the second half, substitute Matt Smith scooped one opportunity on to the roof of the net and also narrowly failed to get on the end of a cross from the left by Chris Taylor, the ball deflected through his legs with the goal gaping six yards out.

Brentford were worthy winners, though. A perfectly-controlled volley from Jonathan Douglas provided the West London side with a first-half lead which was at the time against the run of play, as Athletic surged back from a slow start.

Even despite losing Llera to a red card with around half an hour of the contest left, the well-drilled visitors were not troubled to anywhere near the extent Dickov would have hoped.

Rosler’s men always looked a danger on the break as Athletic sought an equaliser. Impressive Celtic loan winger Niall McGinn tricked his way past Filipe Morais and pulled a cross back for substitute Myles Weston to slam home a smart left-foot shot which was too hot and accurate for home ’keeper Alex Cisak. There was no coming back.

Dickov opted to field the same back four which finished the Orient game, with Kieran Lee at left-back and Nathan Clarke at right-back. Bradley Diallo was on the bench, coming on late in the game to put in another promising cameo appearance.

Brentford tested the legs of Athletic’s back four early on, McGinn hitting a shot which Cisak parried away and the same player struck another well wide of the near post.

Shefki Kuqi needed treatment after taking an early knock and after that, didn’t look anything like the fearsome figure he has lately.

Athletic began to get on top of the contest and Taylor’s effort was deflected five yards wide, Kuqi had a shot which Lee just about managed to hold on to with Robbie Simpson poised to pounce.

Reid would have opened the scoring, but for the Bees stopper’s terrific diving save.

After Douglas’s excellent low strike through a crowded area, Clarke produced a superb cross which bisected defence and ’keeper at the other end which, for some unfathomable reason, was not attacked by Athletic’s strikers.

Athletic started the second half strongly and Lee had extend himself to push away Clarke’s deep free-kick.

Douglas almost doubled his, and his team’s, tally with a low drive that squirmed under Cisak’s body, Athletic’s number one able to exert just enough lateral action on the ball to send it a yard wide of his left-hand post.

Athletic appealed for a penalty for handball when Tom Adeyemi’s shot was blocked by a sprawling Kevin O’Connor just after the hour, but referee Geoff Eltringham was unmoved.

Brentford felt aggrieved at Llera’s dismissal soon after, claiming that Zander Diamond had fouled a prone Douglas seconds earlier.

But despite being a man up, Athletic struggled to gain attacking momentum even though Smith came on to form a three-pronged front line.

Taylor managed to get into the action more than substitute Morais on the right wing, who had an angry exchange with Diamond over who was supposed to be marking Weston after the winger had already put his side two goals up.

Smith’s close shave and a Morais drive which was easily held by Lee apart, Brentford were comfortable as the game stuttered to its inevitable conclusion.