Latics well off the pace

Photo: Pictures: ALAN HOWARTH

SHIELDING ROLE: Athletic’s Chris Taylor:

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Tranmere 1, Athletic 0

“THIS is an easy job.” Many a true word is spoken in jest, but fewer can be so far wide of the mark.

Paul Dickov was wearing a big grin when he uttered this quip, which followed a well-earned win at this same ground in his first-ever game in charge of Athletic.

Dale Stephens hit a pair of attractive goals and even though Rovers came back into it with a late effort from Ian Thomas-Moore, Dickov’s team did him proud by holding on.

Maybe there was an element of sincerity contained in his line back then.

Mould your team, issue instructions and watch them go out and do your bidding: despite the ever- mounting pile of failures of those who couldn’t hack it, could they have all been missing that special je ne sais qais that Dickov had in his armoury?

The short answer is ‘no’, And the reason? Human nature.

All the tactics boards and energy drinks in the world wouldn’t have helped Dickov when his players, to use his own words “weren’t at the races”.

To continue the metaphor, they hadn’t even checked the form, or had their best suit dry-cleaned.

Mentally, Athletic were found wanting at Prenton Park by a Tranmere side who were much that Dickov’s men were not: energetic, fiercely well-organised and with a propensity to snap into tackles as if it were the first game of the season all over again.

The goal which settled the contest in favour of the home team was fortuitous.

Jose Baxter, a young player of the old-school mould, provided a low shot from the edge of the penalty area which was prodded over stricken Athletic goalkeeper Alex Cisak by Enoch Showunmi after only 18 minutes.

It was celebrated by both men, with Tranmere’s engagingly down-to-earth manager Les Parry afterwards indicating it should go to Showunmi. One for the statisticians to untangle.

What was more clear-cut was that Rovers were by far the better side in the opening quarter of the game.

And even after Athletic had rolled their sleeves up to find a handle on proceedings, the only real occasion on which the team came close to breaching Rovers’ mean defence was in the first half when Shefki Kuqi — a frustrated and isolated figure, booked for a show of dissent — hammered a shot from 25 yards out which flew just off target.

With evergreen 38-year-old Ian Goodison happy for his miserly defence to sit deep, getting in behind Tranmere was too difficult a puzzle for Athletic to solve.

Only three goals have been scored by opposition sides at Prenton Park, the best defensive record of any team in npower League One.

Athletic should have done more to explode that statistic.

Starting with two changes, Filipe Morais playing in a supporting role behind Kuqi and Jean-Yves partnering Nathan Clarke in the absence of injured Zander Diamond, Athletic stuttered from the start with only Robbie Simpson providing a handful of brighter moments.

Acres of space were afforded down Athletic’s left flank in the build-up to the opening goal. Lucas Akins profited, slipping a pass back for Baxter whose first-time shot ricocheted into the net.

Ash Taylor headed a John Welsh cross back into the six-yard box rather than at goal as Rovers created a half-chance for a second and Kuqi followed Kieran Lee into referee Craig Pawson’s notebook for his angry reaction to being penalised for a handball.

It took only half an hour for the experiment with Morais in a central position to end, Simpson instead pushed up with Kuqi and the Portuguese switching to the right wing in an attempt to get him on the ball more often.

Then came Athletic’s best spell. Simpson’s neat spin-and-cross was a little too heavy for Kuqi, hunting his sixth goal of the campaign, Tom Adeyemi had an effort blocked after neat build-up, Kuqi’s screamer wasn’t too far away and the impressive Lee had his pull-back deflected behind.

When passing the ball, Athletic looked capable of something. Unfortunately, after half-time the team lost focus again with mis-hit passes and crosses failing to beat the first defender a depressing, recurrent theme.

Adam McGurk’s looping far-post header from Akins’ cross threatened to double Tranmere’s advantage three minutes after the break, hitting the face of the crossbar with Cisak defeated.

On-loan Everton starlet Baxter released Showunmi with a lovely pass which the big striker couldn’t generate enough power on to trouble Cisak and at the other end, James Wesolowski put his hands to his head after just failing to find the right angle in which to slip Kuqi into a shooting position.

Scoring chances were few and far between. Baxter struck a volley two feet wide of Cisak’s near post and Kuqi cut inside and shot weakly with his left foot, pushing Owain Fon Williams into his first save of a shot on target after 63 minutes.

Matt Smith and Dean Furman came off the substitutes’ bench and while the big striker didn’t get into the game a great deal, the returning captain at least inspired the team into passing the ball.

Smith headed a good David Mellor cross at Fon Williams to register a second effort on target for the visitors, Kuqi had a strike cleared in the six-yard box by David Buchanan and Lee’s cross-shot evaded every player before sliding well wide of the far post.

It is fair to speculate that the DVDs of this encounter won’t be flying off the shelves at Athletic’s club shop. One place footage will be examined, though, is in Paul Dickov’s office. Proof, if it were needed, that football management really can be arduous.