Dickov on the warpath

ANGRY MAN: Paul Dickov’s expression says it all as he watches his team underperform at Chesterfield.

FURIOUS Athletic manager Paul Dickov felt his players proved the critics correct with an insipid exit from the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Chesterfield last night.

Unrecognisable from the side which scrapped to a win against Portsmouth, Athletic led at the Proact Stadium thanks to a goal from Matt Smith - but succumbed in the closing seconds when the same player headed into his own net.

In between, Danny Whitaker had levelled the first-round tie with a goal gift-wrapped via a poor headed back-pass from Carl Winchester.

Chesterfield even missed a penalty.

“I said to Simon, you have been proved right,” said Dickov, referring to chairman Corney’s public blast last week.

“Players will come to me and moan about what Simon said. But you have to go out and prove people wrong, like they did on Saturday.

“And you also have to go out with a point to prove in every game, not just when someone has a go at you.

“I’m disappointed, angry and fuming. They know that.

“You can’t go down to Portsmouth and put in a performance with the guts, determination and desire that we showed and then turn up here and do this.”





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