Young guns need to learn - and quickly

ACTION MAN . . . James Wesolowski (right) gets his foot in against Preston. One of Athletic’s more experienced players, he nevertheless produced a naive challenge which led to a penalty.

While the attacking riches available to Oldham manager Lee Johnson have resulted in free-scoring performances like that against Shrewsbury in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, the team has still failed to find the net first in five of its six league matches to date.

While proud of the way Athletic went about its business on Monday night — some of the football was of a level way above League One — Johnson realises he has a continuing problem.

“The first goal is important in this division,” he mused after the Preston defeat.

He was dead right. Leyton Orient have scored first in all five of their league games this season. Each time they won — and now sit at the top of the table.

Wolves, in second place, have won all four of the matches in which they have taken the lead this season. Athletic have hit the net first only once in the league, against Port Vale.

Other teams with the same record include this weekend’s unbeaten opponents, Rotherham.

There is a clear connection between teams getting their noses in front first and positive results. Statistics suggest over two-thirds of matches are won by the team that strikes first.

For all the easy-on-the-eye passing from back to front, Johnson’s men can’t claim that pure bad luck has cast them as losers in four of their six league matches. Self-inflicted mistakes have punished Athletic recently, leaving the team chasing the game.

A manager can do little about such mistakes, but the players can.

Athletic are inexperienced throughout — necessarily so, because experienced players cost a premium the club can’t afford to pay.

The young guns, for all the applause they are getting, must learn quickly that canny teams take every advantage of slip-ups. They have to be canny too.