Squad building is put on hold

NO WAY THROUGH . .. Ryan Flynn's shot is smothered by goalkeeper Luke Daniels. PICTURES by ALAN HOWARTH

ATHLETIC were left licking their wounds after suffering a third defeat in four league games at Scunthorpe, but for now at least manager Stephen Robinson will have to go with what he has got squad-wise.

With another tough away trip at Port Vale looming tomorrow, Robinson's side were left stewing on a tale of what might have been at Glanford Park, failing to capitalise on several superb chances in the first half.

A 1-0 defeat - a 12th blank of the campaign - brought the team's scoring woes into focus once more. Athletic are stuck on nine goals for the season, seven adrift of Sky Bet League One's next-lowest scorers Coventry.

Paul Green sits out the Vale clash due to his red card at Scunthorpe, but despite Peter Clarke and Ryan Flynn still a yellow card away from one-match bans, Robinson says that there is now no prospect of any signings before the transfer window re-opening.

That's despite having earlier targeted free agent Anthony Gerrard to come in on an initial short-term deal. That potential arrangement will now have to wait due to money issues.

"I don't think we will have the opportunity to do that at this moment in time," said Robinson, when asked about new additions in the short-term. "We would love to, but finances dictate.

"It will be January before we are able to sign anyone."

When the window re-opens, a new forward is bound to top the list of options. Robinson hinted that some members of the current squad will be culled to make way for fresh targets.

"We had to get through until Christmas-time," he added, referring to the batch of players he signed on short-term deals. "What was available then (in the later summer) and what will be available then are two different things.

"We did give some people short-term deals to have a look at them and to move the squad around. We were never going to get every player in every position we wanted in one swoop of 22 players. That was never going to happen.

"We are actively looking and speaking to people and we have a couple of things in the pipeline that I feel will strengthen the squad.

"We want to bring in starters, or people I would be really disappointed to leave out, instead of making up the squad numbers."

Athletic's manager shouldered the responsibility for the Scunthorpe loss, refusing to blame his goal-shy players.

"Ultimately, I will take the blame for it as I brought the players in and they are not scoring goals," he added.

"But I can't ask any more from them. The work-rate and energy, even when down to 10 men, showed through and I didn't think Scunthorpe were going to score.

"But if you don't score the chances we had in the first half against a side of that calibre, then you are not going to win the game."

On Green's dismissal, Robinson felt that his player gave referee Graham Salisbury a decision to make.

He said: "Whether he got the ball or not, he went to ground which gave the referee an opportunity (to send him off)."

ATHLETIC'S under-18s will face Championship club Birmingham City on Wednesday, December 14 (7pm kick-off) at SportsDirect.com Park in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.