Keep your heads up

Paul Dickov: the boys can do it

Paul Dickov: the boys can do it
YEOVIL will be a tough nut to crack at Boundary Park tomorrow.

Fresh from an unlikely win at MK Dons in midweek — the scene of Athletic’s five-goal mauling three weeks ago — the Glovers arrive high on confidence.

Athletic boss Paul Dickov is keen to impress on his players not to be downcast by the loss to Scunthorpe on Tuesday, which was the first in npower League One on home soil this year.

Cut out the mistakes and play your football, Dickov preaches, and a second three-point haul of the month can be gained.

“It will be a tough game,” said Dickov, who will be without Keanu Marsh-Brown as the player starts a three-game ban.

“We saw what MK Dons did to us a few weeks ago and they went there and won. Gary (Johnson) and Terry (Skiverton) have got them playing good football and they have got away from the drop-zone.

“But we are the home team. If we perform and pass the ball as we did the other night, we have a good chance of getting the three points.

“As much as it was a defeat on Tuesday, a number of fans stayed behind to applaud the boys off.

“If we continue performing like that, we will win more than we lose. There was nobody more disappointed than me with the result. But on reflection, I thought we were terrific.

“It is important we don’t get downhearted. We are a young team and we are going to get defeats along the way — though nobody is happy about them. We have to be patient and really stick behind them.

“The boys and I appreciate the backing we get from the fans and I hope it continues, because I believe we have got a really good young team. We want to push up the table, which I believe we can do, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Dickov confirmed that he is keen to snap up Norwich City midfielder Tom Adeyemi — who he felt had his best game yet in Athletic colours against Scunthorpe — until the end of the season.

Adeyemi’s current loan expires on Saturday evening. "Hopefully we can get something sorted to the end of the season," Dickov added.

“I know we have brought Youssouf (Mchangama) in, but Dean Furman and James Wesolowski are still out. With Carl Winchester, he has done really well, but I just felt he needed a complete rest the other night, and Youssouf is going to need more game-time before we can chuck him in from the start.

“Norwich are delighted with the games Tom is getting. He is in no way the finished article yet, but he has a fantastic attitude.

“People forget his age because, physically and the way he gets around the pitch, he looks a lot more mature than his 20 years.

“At any age, people will have ups and downs, but he really took the game by the scruff of the neck and took the responsibility to drive the team on.”

Furman (knee) will step up his training next week, as will Robbie Simpson (broken toe) if he gets the green light when visiting a specialist on Monday.

Athletic (probable, 4-4-2): Cisak; Lee, Mvoto, Diamond, Mellor; Morais, Adeyemi, Brown, Taylor; Reid, Kuqi.


YEOVIL manager Gary Johnson, who has six loan players in his squad, has only one injury worry in Nathan Jones as he bids for a second away victory inside five days.
Top scorer Andy Williams has 12 goals for the season, including eight in his last nine appearances.


JOSH Parker has left Athletic to join Dagenham and Redbridge in League Two on a month-long emergency loan.
The winger, who can also operate as a striker and a right-back, has trained with the London club this week after seeking a move back to the capital due to personal reasons.