Goalmouth grievance for Latics

Photo: Alan Howarth

EYES ON THE BALL . . . Rhys Murphy displays determination to hold off a Blackpool defender.

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Blackpool 0, Athletic 0
CURTIS Main so nearly made it a debut to remember, but for Athletic this was another that got away in an increasingly desperate hunt for survival.

The Doncaster striker arrived with some effect in the second half of a frenetic tussle the visitors had the best of. But in getting underneath his header after Dean Lyness had saved strongly from Daniel Lafferty, the 23 year old directed the ball over the crossbar in front of 1,100 noisy Athletic fans.

The supporters deserved a goal. John Sheridan deserved a goal and his side strained every sinew on the night to provide one. But as on four other occasions in 2015-16, that net is not bulging.

And for all the hard work put in to successfully renovate a leaky defence, the “goals for” column is a huge worry.

Perhaps overplaying when moving forward is the main cause, or there’s a collective nervousness after so many games without a goal. Or maybe the forward options now available to Sheridan will start to click very soon. Either way, there is no time like Gillingham this coming Saturday to hit that goals trail.

Here, Sheridan made one change to the line-up that had the better of a 0-0 draw at Wigan three days earlier. Anthony Gerrard was forced out with a knee injury and in came Aaron Amadi-Holloway.

Mike Jones was fit enough to make a return on the bench, where he was stationed alongside new loan striker Main.

For Blackpool, former Athletic forward and current top scorer Danny Philliskirk began the game up front. Neil McDonald's side started brightly and almost took the lead in the third minute but for a brilliant clearance off the line by Lafferty.

Liam Kelly put in a vital crunching tackle and Philliskirk issued a lone appeal for a penalty from a Cameron Dummigan challenge, before Athletic hit back.

Jonathan Forte stretched to get on the end of a neat Amadi-Holloway pass to stride past Hayden White and enter the penalty area on the left, his shot powerful but a foot wide.

Dummigan let fly from 25 yards, his well-struck effort flicking a defender on its way narrowly over the crossbar, while towards the end of the half Winchester's surprise left-footed effort when a cross appeared likely was beaten out by Lyness.

But Athletic's main chance was a four-on-one break down the left. Rhys Murphy waited too long to release the ball and Matt Palmer was crowded out.

Athletic started the second half strongly. Palmer's curling centre after 54 minutes needed the slightest of touches, which Forte then Murphy failed to supply by inches.

Main was introduced after 67 minutes in place of Amadi-Holloway and Jones came on for the ineffective Murphy, operating centrally behind Main, who could have had his debut goal six minutes later. Lafferty burst into the box and shot low, the keeper palming the ball out for Main who couldn't keep his close-range header down.

In the closing stages, Athletic were the more consistent side - though there was a late scare as Paterson’s lob beat Coleman but passed a long way wide.

In the end, the draw benefited Blackpool more than it did Athletic, and the gradient of Oldham’s uphill struggle increased a notch.