Latics show clear signs of promise

TOUCHLINE DUEL . . . new signing Connor Brown (right) battles with a York defender.

YORK 0, ATHLETIC 2

YOU may as well read the leaves at the bottom of your cup as plot out a precise future direction for Athletic on the basis of a pre-season friendly.

These games are fitness exercises, and the concentration on the training ground so far has been on work done without the ball.

Results of mix-and-match warm-up fixtures rarely, if ever, present a clear and true reflection of a club’s prospects when the real deal comes about.

But even with those caveats, there was plenty to ponder here — and most of it is good news.

Athletic put out what is currently their strongest XI, with Dean Bouzanis starting in goal in place of injured Alex Cisak.

After a slow start in which York went close through a well-struck Jason Walker volley, Athletic changed up a gear to take a firm grip on proceedings by scoring two first-half goals.

First James Tarkowski rose highest to power home a header from a Youssouf Mchangama corner after 23 minutes.

Dan Taylor had a left-foot shot blocked behind by York keeper Michael Ingham soon after and the same man was the creator of the second goal three minutes after Tarkowski’s opener.

Ingham exchanged passes with Robbie Simpson and issued an inviting pull-back, which Simpson clinically swept home.

Simpson had to retire at half-time due to pain in hisinjured thumb.

Tarkowski went close to grabbing a second goal with a shot from the edge of the penalty area in a disjointed second half in which the other major action of note was substitute stopper Liam Jacob producing a pair of very sharp diving saves to his right.

If a day is a long time in football, three weeks is an eternity. There is still plenty of work on and off the field as Athletic build towards 2012-13.






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