This can’t go on any longer
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 21 January 2013
Coventry 2, Oldham Athletic 1
Action must be taken to stop the rot
DECISIONS must be made at Athletic. This desperate run can’t be allowed to carry on.
One point taken out of a possible 21. No captain, Dean Furman, due to his involvement at the African Cup of Nations. No vice-captain, James Wesolowski, due to his crazy dismissal at Scunthorpe and three-game ban.
No Cristian Montano (injured), no Matt Derbyshire (back with Nottingham Forest). No backroom staff for manager Paul Dickov - other than overstretched men with full-time jobs of their own.
No wins in npower League One since Colchester on December 8. No home wins in the league since Shrewsbury were seen off 1-0 on November 24. No money to spend. No apparent prospect of any loan signings as replacements for missing men.
No immediate word that this situation will change.
It is time to either back Dickov or replace him. Trust him to choose and bring in an experienced sidekick and back him with cash for better players.
The current squad isn’t strong enough, mentally or physically, to get out of this mess.
But while the bottom line on Saturday was another loss, the visitors definitely failed to get the rub of the green.
Matt Smith’s headed equaliser in the 89th minute heralded a period of heavy pressure from Athletic as
in-form Coventry tired.
At this stage, with Taylor finally providing an outlet in running beyond Smith’s headed flicks and Sutherland injecting some zip into a one-paced line-up, if the game was to be won it looked like Athletic would be the ones to win it.
When the decisive goal came, on the break and against the run of play, the excellent winning strike from James Bailey was as cruel a kick to the stomach as Dickov has winced from all season.
Goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis made fine saves to keep Athletic in the contest.
The first half was nip-and-tuck, concentrated in a scrappy middle third of the pitch in which Robbie Simpson and Jose Baxter both operated. By half-time, Athletic had quelled play-off chasing Coventry’s momentum.
Gary McSheffrey hit one shot a yard wide before he created the opening goal for Stephen Elliott, six minutes after he had come on to the field. The winger dug out a left-wing cross, Athletic’s two centre-backs both moved to the bouncing ball and Elliott nodded home.
Substitutions revived Athletic. Taylor, up front with Smith, had a chance for Dickov’s men after 68
minutes and hit a low left-footed shot which Murphy was again alert to block.
At the other end, Bouzanis stopped Elliott’s header from Carl Baker’s corner superbly at the foot of his left-hand post.
The team stuck at it. Smith levelled and was proving a big handful. There only appeared to be one winner and had Sutherland connected properly in stoppage time, it would have been Athletic.
Instead, Bailey hammered into the top corner as the home side broke
forward in the fifth minute of added time.
