’Keeper’s ‘worldie’ helps clean sheet

Photo: pictures: ALAN HOWARTH

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Athletic 1, Gillingham 0

ATHLETIC were left thanking two men for getting to the final whistle with a one goal lead intact.

Gillingham manager Peter Taylor admitted goalkeeper Mark Oxley had a “worldie” — and he wasn’t wrong.

Athletic’s goalkeeper is the only ever-present in the Sky Bet League One campaign so far. The 23-year-old has worried many with his propensity to stick, leaden-footed, on his line, but has improved markedly as the campaign has gone on. Here he flung himself around his penalty area to produce at least three top-class saves.

The first, from a low effort from lively lone forward Joe Pigott, was as sharp as a knife, low to his right as the first half drew to a close.

As Athletic’s concentration lapsed towards the end of the game, Oxley’s didn’t. He parried Adebayo Akinfenwa’s fierce drive on the turn to his right and showed his ambidextrousness by diving low the other way to get a crucial left paw on Cody McDonald’s low goalbound effort in the final seconds of added time. Oxley claimed crosses confidently and punched with authority.

Even with an extra man in midfield — this time Carl Winchester not James Dayton — cohesive play was a rarity. Jon Stead, who toiled away as a lone front man, hit a post with a 20-yard drive before the interval, with Athletic already one-up.

But incisive attacks were intermittent on an afternoon on which defensive stoicism — mainly from Oxley, it must be said — was the order of the day.

Gary Harkins sealed the game for Athletic with a flash-bang of inspiration. It is baffling that as beguiling a player as this couldn’t gain a regular place in the St Mirren team. Under a manager in Lee Johnson who recognises and accommodates his talent, the 29-year-old playmaker repaid the faith by rattling in his third goal for Athletic.

David Worrall’s far-post cross wasn’t quite reached by the extended foot of Stead and as it fell for Harkins he quickly shifted the ball to his left foot. The angle was prohibitive but goalkeeper Stuart Nelson barely had time to react as the ball whizzed right through him and into the far corner in front of the Rochdale Road stand.

Nobody acclaimed him when he arrived, but now “Jeebsy” is a player no Athletic supporter can contemplate being without. The hope is that a permanent deal can be agreed when the season ends.

Athletic started the game tentatively. Oxley parried a snap-shot from Connor Smith out awkwardly, Chris Whelpdale smashed high and wide at the end of a cross-field move and Jake Hessenthaler landed a shot on the roof of the net after skipping round an off-colour Jonathan Grounds.

Craig Fagan also lost balance when well placed for the visitors, before Worrall’s header from a Stead centre went straight at Nelson.

Gillingham should have gone a goal in front on the half-hour, only for Oxley to spread himself well and block a weak attempt from Myles Weston who had broken the offside trap. Three minutes later, Harkins’ magic did the trick for Athletic.

The Scot produced a moment of theatre 10 minutes into the second period, moving the ball as lightning pace to bamboozle two defenders before a crude hack from Fagan earned him a booking.

The game was generally drifting though, leaving Taylor with no option but to call for big guns Akinfenwa and Cody McDonald.

Akinfenwa’s neat turn and shot and McDonald’s accurate low effort would, on another day, have earned the Gills at least a draw. But the impact of dynamic duo Oxley and Harkins proved decisive.