Scapuzzi sizzles

Luca Scapuzzi’s goal celebration

ATHLETIC 3, CREWE 1

HOW’S THAT for starters?
As it stands, Luca Scapuzzi will only be with Athletic until the start of next year.

If he fulfils the promise shown in this pleasingly all-action, shot-laden showing by Paul Dickov’s side, though, the on-loan Manchester City youngster’s spell will go down as one of the most feted since the three witches predicted big things of Macbeth.

Scapuzzi’s composure in possession and ability to find pockets of empty field when drifting in from his notional right-wing station were obvious from the off last night in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie against Crewe, even before the on-loan Italian produced a piece of calcio-crafted class to create the opening goal.

Sliding unnoticed infield, the 20-year-old shifted the ball neatly on to his right foot and shaped a shot from 25 yards which was heading for the left corner of Steve Phillips’ goal before the ‘keeper threw out a right paw to claw it out.

Unfortunately for the visitors, he only succeeded in presenting arch goal-sniffer Shefki Kuqi with a true striker’s chance. Following up the rebound, the Finn steamed in to slide the rebound under Phillips’ body from the edge of the six-yard box.

After Kuqi had grabbed an equally opportunistic goal to register redundant Nick Powell’s out-of-the-blue equaliser, Athletic’s third goal was all the former AC Milan prodigy’s own doing.

Taking up the ball wide on the left after being found by a slick Kuqi pass, Scapuzzi set the stage for a superb right-footed finish across Phillips with a wonderfully fluent step-over.

On this evidence, as with ‘The Scottish Play’, it might soon be bad luck even to mention the Italian by name — lest it serves to send the scouts a-flocking, reducing the chance of Dickov keeping him for a while longer come 2012.

Athletic fans present at Boundary Park last night certainly don’t want to curse the chances of that possibility being rendered a reality.

Kuqi’s influence in dismantling a powder-puff Crewe outfit shouldn’t be under-estimated.

Neither of his two strikes — the ninth and 10th of a season encompassing only 14 appearances with the club — could be described as spectacular.

But in following in Scappuzi’s sizzler for the opener after 12 minutes, he showed exactly the poacher’s instinct so clearly absent from last year’s line-up.

The point was then re-emphasised when he headed home after the break, following up Tom Adeyemi’s piledriver which had struck an upright.

All Kuqi had to do was head the loose ball into the net, albeit with the help of a deflection off Crewe centre-back Dave Artell.

You can’t buy the sort of instinct which dictated to the 34-year-old where he should be positioned in order to convert the rebound, though.

Only the truest of goalscorers can manage that feat. As with Scapuzzi, Athletic can count themselves fortunate to have such a beast on their books.

The home side started this area quarter-final contest with far more pizzazz than was the case against Bury three days previously, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.

The opening goal served to calm down Athletic down — perhaps to too great an extent. It signalled a period of pressure from the visitors in which 17-year-old Powell, a frighteningly poised product of the Cheshire club’s famed youth system, was particularly influential.

It was the left-winger who produced Alex’s best attempt of the opening 45 minutes. After a couple of loose sighters, he cut inside Kieran Lee and struck a powerful shot which forced Paul Gerrard into a smart diving stop low and close to his right-hand post.

It was the only time the veteran ‘keeper’s hands were tested in the opening period.

Athletic regained their forward momentum in the half’s closing quarter-hour.

Chris Taylor’s run and low left-footed cross from the left were too quick for visiting defenders and Athletic forwards alike to get on the end of, while Robbie Simpson continued his lengthy essay in how to do everything but find the back of the net.

First he slammed a right-footed shot narrowly wide of the right-hand upright from 25 yards and then, after Jean-Yves Mvoto — earlier booked for cynically hauling down Shaun Miller on halfway — had struck the crossbar with a header from a Simpson corner, the on-loan Huddersfield man hit the same patch of goal frame with a smart chest-and-volley from the edge of the penalty area.

The visitors’ goal came out of the blue, Powell benefiting from a lapse by Mvoto who failed to recover quickly enough from conceding a throw-in. The midfielder’s finish, low across Gerrard from 18 yards, was emphatic.

Five minutes later, Kuqi had his second and all was right with Athletic’s world once more.

Lee did well to nudge Bryan Moore away from the far-post area as Ashley Westwood’s whipped free-kick had threatened to level once more.

Scapuzzi’s twinkle-toes were responsible for putting the game to bed and he received a warm ovation when substituted two minutes later.

Striker Matt Smith headed one straight into the air from fellow sub Filipe Morais’ strong cross, and third replacement Andreas Mancini fired over from inside the area, while Adeyemi had another strike well palmed over by Phillips as Athletic shot on sight.

More clinical finishing would have resulted in a far heavier margin of victory. But few Athletic fans will have left the ground complaining.