Young guns taught a lesson

SWEET AND SOUR . . . Shefki Kuqi celebrates his wonder goal

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Rochdale 3, Athletic 2
Kuqi wonder-goal in vain as Rochdale grab survival lifeline
INEXPERIENCED Athletic were schooled by rivals Rochdale in slumping to a fourth successive defeat.

A Michael Symes hat-trick, crucially featuring spirit-sapping strikes near the start of both halves, was enough to win a fraught and highly-entertaining derby at Spotland.

It was a contest notable for a sensational Shefki Kuqi equalising volley which deserved to count for far more than absolutely nothing. He will never score one better.

Dale, bottom of the npower League One, were clinging on at the end after substitute Reuben Reid had pulled back the deficit to a single goal in the 79th minute.

On for his first-team debut, sub winger Connor Hughes then almost had a dream day when heading home from close range in the third minute of added time at the end of 90 minutes – only for woeful referee Graham Salisbury to rule it out for a push. An offside flag was also raised, mysteriously.

Overall, the three points were deserved for John Coleman’s side.

Ex-Accrington and Bradford striker Symes gave James Tarkowski the most torrid afternoon of his fledgling career. Athletic’s 19-year-old centre-back was sent off in added time for a second yellow card. The punishment was not deserved – Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro went down very easily – though he could have walked earlier when conceding a penalty.

Setting aside decisions that went against them, Athletic defended dreadfully at times during this derby.

Hesitant in closing down the opposition and slow to anticipate and then clear danger, the three goals scored by Coleman’s side owed as much to wretched back-line play as they did the keen sniffer’s instinct of the outstanding Symes.

The long list of injuries has ravaged the squad. Minus an entire spine of a first-choice line-up including Zander Diamond, Paul Black, Dean Furman, James Wesolowski, Robbie Simpson and Filipe Morais – the latter player ending up in hospital on the day of the game. A group of relative kids were sent out to do men’s jobs. Keanu Marsh-Brown was also suspended.

Though Athletic enjoyed a heavy spell of pressure in the dying throes, Coleman’s men hung on to claim what was for them a vital victory in the bid to avoid relegation.

For Athletic, the bottom four is far too close for comfort. Particularly so, given the growing list of enforced absentees.

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