Dickov lauds goal-den move

AERIAL COMBAT . . . Athletic striker Reuben Reid attempts to win a header.

A TOP team effort left Athletic manager Paul Dickov a happy manager — for once able to embrace the fact that luck had gone his way.

The winning goal, struck by Chris Taylor after 52 minutes, was the result of a flowing team move.

The impressive Youssouf Mchangama quickly switched play with a raking pass to the right, Kieran Lee picking up and playing a one-two with Shefki Kuqi before providing the killer pass.

A second successive clean sheet was registered thanks in no small part to the defensive efforts of Reece Brown, who excelled again in the heart of defence alongside Jean-Yves Mvoto.

The majority of the audience at Boundary Park held its breath with 87 minutes gone, when Mvoto appeared to haul down Lyle Taylor in the penalty area during a period of heavy pressure from Lee Bradbury’s men.

But referee Robert Madley allowed play to continue, enabling Athletic to celebrate a second 1-0 win in five days.

“We got the ball down and cut them apart,” said Dickov of the match-winning strike, four days after seeing off Hartlepool by the same score at Victoria Park.

“That is what we want to do and how I like to play. It isn’t going to happen all the time, though.

In claiming a first win of the ‘Golden Ticket’ period, Dickov accepted responsibility for some slightly gung-ho tactics in searching for a second goal which would have put the result beyond doubt.

The Athletic boss added: “It is a big six points for us and it is very pleasing getting the clean sheets.





The full version of this story can be read in to tonight’s print and e-Chron editions