Achilles heel angers Dickov

Calvin Zola

ATHLETIC manager Paul Dickov has instilled in his players the importance of pulling down the defensive shutters as Burton Albion ride into town tomorrow (3pm).

Attacking fluency which has seen the team rack up nine goals in the last four games has been married to a defensive frailty which has left Dickov frustrated.

Despite the Brewers' status as an npower League Two club, the Athletic manager is well aware of the damage that can be caused by the likes of Calvin Zola and Billy Kee, should lapses in concentration occur.

"Paul (Peschisolido) has a nice mixture of youth and experience in his team," said Dickov, bidding for back-to-back cup wins and a first shot at a round-two FA Cup tie in his managerial career.

"He has got some good players and they are a threat going forward.

"Billy Kee is scoring a lot of goals and he is someone I and (assistant manager) Gerry Taggart know well from when he was a young kid at Leicester.

"They have goals in their team. We will need to make sure we are switched on defensively because it will be a tough game.

"Over recent years they have a good record of beating teams in leagues above them in the FA Cup, so they will come here fancying their chances.

"Concentration is something we keep on banging on about with the players.

"When teams switch off against us, they don't seem to get punished as much as we do.

"If you're putting the ball out for a throw, put it into row Z so you can quickly get back to your position. At set pieces, pick up your men.

"They are simple little things, but things we do have to work on.

"We are scoring goals. And if we can sort things out not just at the back but defending as a team, then I think people will see that we are a good side."

With only three matches separating Athletic from a Wembley final appearance in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, Dickov believes that the impact of another morale-boosting knock-out victory tomorrow could carry over to the club's League One campaign.

"As a player, I loved cup competitions and the buzz you get from them can't be underestimated," Dickov added.

"We want to do well in the league, first and foremost.

"But if we can get back-to-back cup wins then we can use that as a springboard, coming up to a busy Christmas period."