It’s panto season as Latics collapse

Robbie Simpson’s sending off completes a miserable day for Latics

YEOVIL 4, Athletic 1

ATHLETIC were cast as pantomime donkeys at Huish Park as seasonal goodwill leached away in a torrent of slapstick black comedy.

Few among the band of 95 intrepid travelling supporters will have seen the funny side of this heavy defeat – particularly after witnessing the fourth goal conceded on a wet,

thoroughly-depressing afternoon in carrot-crunching country.

Already down to 10 men as a result of substitute Robbie Simpson’s lunge on goalkeeper Marek Stech, matters were made worse when Cliff Byrne’s late back pass was horribly short on power.

Dean Bouzanis raced out from his penalty area and, for reasons best known to himself, opted to try to complete a clearance while sliding on his backside.

Barely any contact was made with the ball, leaving Paddy Madden the simple task of clipping the ball home into an unguarded net.

It was a complete embarrassment.

At 4-1 down with two minutes to go, all that was left for Athletic was to contemplate another filthy, pointless journey back north.

The margin of defeat was undoubtedly harsh on Athletic, who had the better of half of this contest.

But while reasonably pointing to moments of ill-fortune, manager Paul Dickov knows that the loss was ultimately self-inflicted – and that, overall, Yeovil were the sharper, quicker and meaner side.

Fingers will be pointed defensively. Jean-Yves Mvoto’s lunge which gave away a penalty to equalise Jose Baxter’s wonderful third-minute header; the backing off which allowed Gavin Williams space to unleash a wind-assisted thunderbolt of a 25-yard drive which flew past a helpless Bouzanis just before the interval; the parting of the tangerine sea that helped nemesis James Hayter claim the 11th goal of his career against Athletic; and the rank awfulness of the fourth from Madden.

Things had looked good early on. Baxter’s goal came after a slick counter-attack, with Reece Wabara swinging in a cross from the right and the nine-goal man producing a brilliant, accurate header on the run which left Stech rooted to the spot.Montano went close to extending the lead with a drive which passed a whisker over the angle of post and crossbar and Mvoto’s effort from a Smith knock-down was only prevented from heading in by a timely Richard Hinds block.

Yeovil soon found their way into the contest and as a flurry of crosses were allowed into the area – it was again far too easy a task to get behind Athletic in wide areas – Madden thought he had broken through with a far-post header only for an assistant’s flag to be raised for offside.

Athletic didn’t heed the warning. Montano was second to a half-clearance from a corner and as powerful Ed Upson skidded across the box, Mvoto panicked and hauled him down for a spot-kick which was emphatically dispatched by Williams.

Yeovil were on the front foot and it was little surprise that they grabbed a second before half-time. Williams skipped infield from the left past the non-challenges of Wabara and James Wesolowski and produced his superb finish.

Baxter almost answered that strike straight away with an equally excellent one of his own. A delicate curling chip to the far top-corner was clawed out by Stech and straight away down the other end, Upson’s shot was cleared off the line after Bouzanis had blocked with his body an attempt from the hat-trick seeking Williams.

Dickov had to stem the flow at half-time and did so to good effect by bringing on Youssouf Mchangama in place of Montano. Athletic were immediately more solid.

Wabara had a low shot saved awkwardly by Stech and as Athletic pushed hard for an equaliser, it was the Glovers who were struggling to emerge from their own defensive zone.

Baxter had a shot deflected over the top and Smith was just off-target with a volley from an acute angle.

The game was up, though, when Yeovil broke against the run of play for a third. It was coolly finished off by Hayter as he raced down centre-field from an Upson through ball.

Then came Simpson’s dismissal. It was the second occasion the substitute striker had gone in for a ball with Stech.

The first was not even given as a foul, but though he appeared to arrive at the ball at the same time as the Glovers custodian, the second was enough to see him dismissed.

Stech’s absurd exaggerated reaction, straight out of the panto dame school, did Simpson no favours.

But Athletic can’t claim they did themselves any favours on another depressing afternoon of failure. The calamitous fourth goal was the icing on a Christmas cake long since past its sell-by date.

As for a ghost of a post-Christmas future without Baxter . . . At present, it is enough to send a big chill down the spine of every Athletic fan.