Dickov keeps faith in Kuqi

Latics manager sticks by misfiring striker

ATHLETIC manager Paul Dickov will resist calls to rest striker Shefki Kuqi.

The hard-grafting 35-year-old has seen his previously excellent scoring form evaporate recently, with his last league goal registered in a 5-2 win over Chesterfield at Boundary Park two months ago.

Against the same opponents on Tuesday night Kuqi failed with a penalty kick, and the latest blank arrived during the scoreless draw against Exeter City on Saturday.

It is a sign of how much Athletic look to their talisman that in the sequence of 10 matches in which Kuqi hasn’t scored, only eight goals have arrived as a team.

“It happens to everybody,” said Dickov, whose side moved up a place to 16th in npower League One thanks to the point gained on Saturday.

“You look at players like Edin Dzeko at Manchester City who had 13 games without scoring, or Fernando Torres, who has gone 16 now without a goal.

“As a manager, you stick by them. Shefki gives us so much. Yes, he is there to score goals, but his closing down is great and he is effective in both boxes.

“I know as a forward myself, if you are not having the best of times in front of goal then you want your manager to stick by you.

“I will be doing that with Shefki.”

Athletic dominated the second half of their clash with Exeter without being able to find a breakthrough.

They will be hoping for better luck when Chesterfield come to Boundary Park next Monday for the second leg of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Northern final.

The Spireites lead the tie 2-1 and nothing short of a victory will be good enough to send Dickov’s men to a Wembley final.

John Sheridan’s bottom-of-the-table side picked up a second win in the space of five days when seeing off Colchester 2-1 at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, a first league triumph since September 17 arriving thanks to strikes from Jack Lester and Josh Thompson.

“We have got a little break now and we will make sure the boys are right for Monday night,” added Dickov.

“It is a massive game and one we know we have to win.”