I thought we would go on to win game — Dickov

DESPITE a slow start, Athletic manager Paul Dickov left Charlton believing his side could have ended up smashing the home team’s unbeaten run.

A Filipe Morais strike towards the end of a physical battle at The Valley earned the visitors a point and extended the Addicks’ sequence free from home defeat to 10 matches.

The goal from substitute Morais came at the end of a smart, albeit rare, period of passing football from Athletic and levelled Darel Russell’s earlier header.

Once level, the way Latics attacked with increased confidence led the manager to hope that victory was possible.

“It was a really pleasing performance,” Dickov said. “We like to pass the ball, and when we do that we are a good team. The goal we scored came about through that. This league is all about big, physical teams, but Charlton can play a bit as well.

“In the first 10 or 15 minutes, we showed them too much respect. They are a good team. But once the players realised we could match them, we grew into the game. Once we got the equaliser, I thought we were going to go on to win it. We pushed on and they dropped back deep. This is a fantastic place to play football and they have a very good home record. But we put them under a bit of pressure.”

Dickov also paid tribute to those among his squad who didn’t make it on to the turf at The Valley.

“All-round, all of the team, including the substitutes who came on, as well as all the eight players who travelled down to watch the game — it was fantastic,” he added.




ATHLETIC have already received applications for the role of chief executive at Boundary Park, vacated by the retiring Alan Hardy.

Athletic chairman Simon Corney said that interviews will take place this week and he hopes to make an appointment soon.