Superb Latics 'rain' supreme

CELEBRATION TIME . . . Lee Erwin is mobbed by his Athletic team-mates after scoring

IT WAS the quintessential Boundary Park night, as the rain teemed down to put off plenty of floating voters who might, on a better evening, have popped down to take advantage of the special ticket offer.

So far, so typically Latics.

Fate has conspired against Stephen Robinson's side this term. Was there good fortune involved in not handing Gillingham a penalty two weeks ago when skipper Peter Clarke appeared to handle in the box?

Perhaps. But the other side of the coin is that Athletic have had more than their fair share of rough calls themselves - the non-penalty at Bradford, another couple against Shrewsbury and hitting the woodwork no fewer than nine times so far this season.

Excuses only wash for so long with fans who simply want to experience that warm glow that winning matches brings.

For the manager Robinson, though, it's about putting his methodology into action. Performances count.

And at some stage, he believes that if Athletic keep doing the right things - fighting for every ball, hitting the target more than at Bolton and stopping conceding from set-pieces - then results will surely start to show through.

Here, after a frantic and scrappy opening to the game, with wind lashing rain around the field, Athletic gradually got on top of divisional leaders Scunthorpe and scored a couple of terrific goals just before half-time.

First, Freddie Ladapo crowned a flowing move that spread across the length of the field before firing home clinically.

Then, in added time at the end of the first half, his strike partner Lee Erwin cut inside his man and directed a perfect right-footed strike beyond Iron goalkeeper Joe Anyon for 2-0.

From then on in, Athletic saw out the game with determination, no little skill and very nearly, with more goals to show for their efforts against a side previously four points clear at the top and who had not failed to score away from home in 2016-17.

It was an excellent, gutsy effort, with no little slick attacking play on show. It was a shame more than 2,911 fans weren't there to see it.

Robinson made two changes to the side that was beaten for only the second time away from home in the league at Bolton. Out went Brian Wilson for a more attack-minded right-back in Cameron Dummigan - a bold move, given that he was directly up against the division's 12-goal top scorer Josh Morris - and Ladapo was brought in to add extra power up front in place of Billy Mckay, who is still hunting a first league goal of the campaign.

On a slippery surface, the game opened up at pace and after Sam Mantom saw a shot deflect a couple of feet wide for the visitors, Athletic were giving as good as they got.

Carl Winchester couldn't quite connect properly with an Erwin centre as the ball skidded up towards him and Ladapo had a sighter in the 26th minute as he turned his man on the edge of the box and forced a sharp low save.

Next up was a strong penalty shout for Athletic, with Ryan Flynn appearing to be clearly felled by Stephen Dawson's reckless dive-in near the edge of the area.

Referee Darren England had a good view of the incident and shook his head without delay - just as he did five minutes later at the other end, when a deeply unimpressed Neal Bishop drove between Dummigan and Cameron Burgess and appeared to be tripped by at least one of the duo, 12 yards out.

Two goals in the space of three minutes rocked Scunthorpe.

First, a flowing move saw Ousmane Fane start deep in his own half, the ball shifted to Paul Green and then Flynn, operating in a central pocket behind the front two. His pass in to Ladapo was a slick one and though the initial chance appeared to vanish as he checked back, after manoeuvring the ball onto his left foot he planted a shot between defenders and defeated Anyon to his left from just outside the box.

Finally, after a scoreless period of more than five hours on home soil, Athletic's fans had a goal to shout about.

It soon got even better for the faithful. Ladapo fed Erwin on the left and as he raced into the box, his clever feint to shoot was bought hook-line-and-sinker by a defender before the Scot shaped a lovely right-footed shot inside the far post and beyond Anyon's dive.

Scunthorpe's players were out early for the second half, presumably with a flea in their collective ear from manager Graham Alexander.

Athletic again started brightly, though..

Mantom shot too close to Ripley, but Athletic nearly made it 3-0 when, just after the hour, Flynn reacted first to hammer in a left-footed attempt from 12 yards that was parried out by Anyon.

Athletic's playmaker should have done better than fire over the top after 80 minutes, but it barely mattered.

Athletic were good value for this, their first home league win and one gained against top opposition.