Bouzanis in the dock

FRUSTRATION for James Tarkowski as a good chance goes begging for Athletic during yesterday’s 1-1 draw.

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Athletic 1, Colchester 1

’Keeper the culprit' in Latics’ latest howler

FIVE points from three games in charge isn’t a bad ratio for a manager recently parachuted into his first job.

Lee Johnson can reflect on life outside the bottom-four of npower League One from now until the visit of Carlisle to Boundary Park on Saturday, having pocketed the spoils of a victory over Hartlepool and stalemates against Swindon and Colchester.

Spread Johnson’s current record right across a full season and you tally 75 points. That’s probably enough to land a play-off spot.

But despite the admirable record of the 31-year-old, there is the sense after his latest 90 minutes in charge of an opportunity missed – or rather, thrown away.

Countless times this season, individual mistakes have cost Athletic goals.

There have been few more egregious examples than that of Dean Bouzanis yesterday. The goalkeeper’s concentration failed him and he fumbled the ball horribly in the first half straight into the path of Drey Wright, who lashed it into the net.

The lively Colchester midfield man will never score an easier goal.

Athletic equalised through Jose Baxter's header after the interval, but couldn't force a winner.

Still, Athletic have two games in hand on teams above them in the table.

Still, the gap to those higher-ranked clubs remains tantalising and unbridged.

And still - even under the bright young man now at the helm - chronic mistakes continue to bite tenaciously at the struggling club.

Johnson hasn’t experienced enough of the morale-sapping moments like the one supplied by Bouzanis – who, it is only fair to point out, was excellent in preserving a draw against the odds at Swindon three days before – to feel the sense of anxiety that quickly spread through the Boundary Park crowd yesterday once Colchester had gone a goal ahead.

On a poor surface, deep down there is the nagging feeling it won’t be easy for Johnson to gain the results he and his team need before the season ends.

Colchester proved again here, by shutting down the opposing full-backs and keeping things tight and physical, that Athletic can be stifled.

Lee Croft skimmed the crossbar with an early cross and Baxter had U’s goalkeeper Sam Walker flapping with an in-swinging corner that threatened embarrassment as the home team started brightly.

Then came the opening goal, forged initially by a run from powerful Jabo Ibehre, and handed over to Joe Dunne’s men by Bouzanis on a silver platter.

Muscular forward Ibehre hit one shot narrowly over the top and Athletic’s best response before the break came from a rasping long-range drive from Robbie Simpson which travelled only inches off target.

Athletic were the superior side after the break and Colchester could have little cause to bemoan the equalising goal.

Croft had threatened moments earlier before digging out a cross which Baxter flexed his neck muscles at to guide the ball in off the underside of the crossbar.

From then on, Athletic did most of the pressing. Ibehre hit the top of the crossbar with a header from a corner but a Colchester victory would have been unjust.

Baxter, whose shoot-on-sight policy saw a series of efforts rain on Walker's goal, went closest for the home team but failed to keep a difficult volleyed chance down.

Huff and puff as they did, Athletic could not force a winning strike. For all the new manager's panache, their business remains as unfinished and ugly as the half-painted Chaddy End roof.