Kuqi back in the groove

WHAT A RELIEF: Athletic striker Shefki Kuqi celebrates with his team-mates after ending his goal famine from the penalty spot.

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Athletic 1, Tranmere 0

Spot-on striker ends drought to secure vital win
FOOTBALL is an unpredictable sport, as Athletic's 1-0 home victory over Tranmere Rovers demonstrated.

Shefki Kuqi netted his first goal in 14 matches – his first successful penalty in three attempts.

Fellow striker Robbie Simpson had an off-day, which is as rare as Fernando Torres having a good one.

And the hosts kept a clean sheet just seven days after a demoralising 5-0 drubbing at MK Dons, which assistant manager Gerry Taggart dubbed the worst performance of the season.

But perhaps it was fitting that, after a week in which the club's future has been at the forefront of everyone's minds, three of Athetic's young shining lights should offer a ray of sunshine.

Star of the show James Tarkowski is only 19, but played like a seasoned veteran.

Defending is not just about heading and tackling, you need to lead - and the most promising aspect of 'Tarky's' performance was his constant dialogue with team-mates.

Fellow teenagers David Mellor and Carl Winchester returned to first-team duty at left-back and central midfield respectively and also showed maturity beyond their years.

Uncertainty over ground redevelopment and plummeting attendances have been a cause for concern for a number of years.

In a bid to coax back the stay-aways, chairman Simon Corney unveiled the ‘Golden Ticket’ plan last week, with five homes games for £15 on offer, starting with tomorrow night’s clash with Colchester.

But the nurturing of raw talent like this talented trio can not only save the club a fortune, but also capture the imagination of supporters who love nothing more than seeing players successfully navigate their way through the ranks.

Athletic have played much better and lost this term, but they looked solid and balanced, a world away from that sobering experience at Stadium:mk.

Kieran Lee's presence in his preferred right-back role gives Paul Dickov's side more attacking impetus.

He has been shifted to the left at times this season, but Mellor is naturally left-footed and it had a more natural feel to it.

Skipper Dean Furman again missed out as he gingerly makes his way back from knee trouble, so energetic Winchester joined Tom Adeyemi in the engine room and both players ran themselves into the ground for the cause.

Athletic shaded a tight first period, but with Simpson and Chris Taylor lacking their usual sprinkle of magic dust the final ball was missing.

Save for a Tarkowski screamer from all of 35 yards which whistled past the post and Jean Yves Mvoto's blocked shot on the turn, Dickov's men didn't pose a great threat before the interval.

Tranmere, subdued despite fielding three forwards, could have gone in front seconds before the break when, with their fourth successive corner, James Wallace's header from Adam McGurk's corner was beaten away by Alex Cisak.

The turning point arrived barely 60 seconds after the restart. Simpson was felled by visiting skipper John Welsh just inside the box and Kuqi did the business from the spot. His relief was there for all to see and was shared by the home contingent.

On any other day, Simpson would have put the game to bed 10 minutes later when Filipe Morais put it on a plate for him, but the ex-Huddersfield man dragged his shot wide from eight yards.

What will have pleased Dickov most was the resilience his charges offered on the occasions Tranmere found space in the attacking third.

The Scot preaches the need to do the basic things right and they did just that.

When you are not firing on all cylinders, you ensure the gate remains closed at the other end.

Athletic defended as a unit - Dickov would take 1-0 over 4-3 every time.

The visitors' cause was not helped by their own fans who, from the moment Kuqi stuck the ball away until the end of the match, focused all of their energy on calling for manager Les Parry's head.

With three minutes left on the clock Martin Devaney momentarily looked to be in on goal, after cutting inside down the right, but that man Tarkowski was first to meet the drilled cross and Athletic finished the stronger side with three vital points to their name.