Battle for survival

BUNN FIGHT... Athletic’s on-loan striker Harry Bunn shows the desire to push into the heart of the Wednesday defence.

Sheff Wed 3, Athletic 0
Latics looking over the precipice
ATHLETIC find themselves at an uncomfortable crossroads.

In one direction leads a dirt track to League Two.

In another is a far safer path to a 16th consecutive season in the game’s third professional tier.

Not a particularly exciting prize, laid next to this season’s potential Wembley trip and now long-gone hopes of a play-off push. But still relative salvation.

Despite losing at Hillsborough yesterday for the ninth time in 11 games, manager Paul Dickov clearly has a strong belief that his chosen methods will ultimately carry the club down the right road.

It is definitely faith, rather than its lesser cousin, hope, that is at play.

Only a true believer in the ability of striker Shefki Kuqi, who has managed one goal from open play in the last 27 matches, would have constantly retained the confidence-sapped, hard-running hit man in the team when others would have thrown him to the substitutes' bench.

Kuqi, with 16 goals to his name, could argue he is well due to rattle one in.

Following an equally-frustrating defeat against Charlton two days earlier, Athletic need to rise again following this erratic Easter.

Athletic simply cannot afford to lose against Wycombe Wanderers this weekend. Athletic can't afford to be as kind to the Chairboys as they were at times to the unsympathetic, promotion-chasing Owls.

Yes, Dickov’s men controlled the first half with some football that was as good as it has been for some time.

Yet still, the crucial final pass, that clinical eye for a killer ball or cross, was missing. As was defensive solidity at crucial moments

In a fifth straight game without finding the net, Dean Furman drove narrowly wide in the fourth minute, Robbie Simpson failed to guide his header on target at the far post soon after and Kuqi gave himself too difficult an angle when streaking away trying to equalise in the second half, his angled shot gobbled up with ease by Stephen Bywater.

Llera provided the thrust for the opening strike two minutes before the interval.

Taking control with Kieran Lee stranded upfield, the centre-back advanced down the left and floated in a lovely cross which Madine headed home for an 18th goal of the season.

Athletic pushed hard at the start of the second half in striving to level the game.

Dave Jones’s men gave another lesson in finishing when Llera popped up to sprint in front of his marker and nod home a free-kick swung in by substitute Keith Treacy with a quarter of the contest left.

If that was far too easy, the third goal was child’s play. Again Treacy was the provider, this time with substitute striker Ryan Lowe peeling off James Tarkowski at the far post to power his header home.

It completed a hat-trick of goals off the forehead, none of which were shining examples of concentration from the visitors’ perspective.

The rest of the contest petered out, just as Athletic’s whole post-Christmas season has so unsatisfactorily.

Be it by necessity or design, Athletic's players are mostly young. They must toughen up, quickly.

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