You’re doing great, Tony

Photo: Picture: MAX FLEGO

HEAD MASTER . . . James Tarkowski celebrates his winning goal with Athletic team-mates Lee Croft.

Stand-in boss just the job — Corney
ATHLETIC chairman Simon Corney will not rock the boat and bring in a new manager as long as Tony Philliskirk keeps on picking up results.

Having watched as a second-half revival at Stevenage brought three points to lift the club out of the relegation zone, Corney admitted while the board had spoken to potential candidates, he hoped the caretaker boss keep going - and winning.

“What would anyone do in my position?,” Corney asked, following the 2-1 victory. “It is pretty obvious. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

“As long as Tony is happy to keep helping us out, I would look an idiot bringing someone in.

“Tony knows the players. They have all come up to me and told me how they are enjoying it and how they feel they are being coached really well.

“It doesn’t mean it will stay like this and it doesn’t mean we are not talking to one or two people, because we are. We always have been.

“But people are making wild guesses and people are insinuating things that aren’t true. Only myself and the board know what is going on.”

While not budging from his reluctant stance over the possibility of taking the job on full-time, Tony, the club’s youth eam boss, admits he’s delighted with the upturn in fortunes.

“I am just delighted that we are winning. That is the most important thing,” he said.

Athletic’s victory saw the club leapfrog Colchester into 20th place.

But it came at a price: Carl Winchester sustained an ankle injury early on and could have suffered some ligament damage.

James Wesolowski replaced him but was later taken off himself. And Cliff Byrne suffered a groin injury.



ATHLETIC have received 4,800 tickets for the FA Cup fifth-round replay trip to Everton on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Season-ticket holders will be entitled to buy one ticket on production of voucher ‘D’ from their season-ticket books at the Boundary Park ticket office.

Tickets are on sale to season-ticket holders today (9am-5pm), tomorrow (9am-5pm). Friday (9am-5pm) and Saturday (9am-1pm).

A ticket voucher will be issued at the home game against Portsmouth on Saturday for all supporters paying at the turnstiles. This can be used to buy a ticket for Everton from the ticket office immediately after Saturday’s match, subject to availability.