Dickov: We had nothing to lose

ATHLETIC’S stunning second-half turnaround delighted manager Paul Dickov, who had at half-time called on his men to stop being dictated to by Nottingham Forest.

Trailing to a Matt Smith own goal at the interval, the visitors tore into the Championship side at the City Ground and turned the game on its head in seven sensational second-half minutes.

Robbie Simpson struck twice and Jose Baxter’s free-kick, which came after Danny Collins’ dismissal, put Athletic through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in five years.

“I felt we showed them too much respect in the first half,” said a delighted Dickov. “We sat off them.

“They changed their system around by playing three at the back, which gave them the extra man in midfield.

“We tried to change it around in the first half and in the last 15 minutes of it we began to get to grips with the game.

“I said to the players at half-time that we didn’t want to go out with a whimper. If we get beaten, we do it giving everything we have got. By showing desire and attitude and by chasing everything down.

“It was a cup game. We were 1-0 down with absolutely nothing to lose so we had to go for it.”