Latics lacking front-line guile

BACK-POST HEADER . . . beating his man to the jump, Athletic striker Aaron Amadi-Holloway goes close

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ATHLETIC are making an art form out of grinding out results like this one, but the big question remains.

Can a side that troubles the opposition goalkeeper as infrequently as this scrap its way to a finish outside the bottom four of Sky Bet League One?

In a game that was much-improved in the second half of a derby which started at a frantic pace before settling down into a murky, stodgy stalemate, Athletic snatched at the few shooting chances that did open up.

There is plenty to admire within Athletic's collective mindset. Stout and superbly organised behind the ball, there's a real mental fortitude when it comes to repelling attacks.

In the orbit of the opposition goal, though, there is an ongoing lack of composure. It showed itself here when Tope Obadeyi, at the fore of a post-half-time recovery that had plenty to do with a tactical change from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 which provided a foothold in midfield, lined up a free-kick in the 76th minute.

His initial attempt was directed into the defensive wall, but as the ball rebounded invitingly to him on the edge of the area, he tried to take the leather off the ball instead of calmly placing it to the right of Joe Murphy's goal.

It ended up flying into the back row of the 1,388 Bury supporters inside the Chaddy End.

"I'm thinking, why not place it with a bit of side-foot finesse?" reflected Athletic manager John Sheridan on that chance afterwards. "But that's what I would do. Concentrate on hitting the target. Get good contact and it will go where the goal is."

Twelve shots on target in the last five games - four of which have yielded no goals - shows where Athletic desperately need to improve.

Aaron Amadi-Holloway has been publicly encouraged by his manager to get into better scoring areas, and he managed that in the 64th minute.

The bustling striker got a head on a well-directed cross from Aiden O'Neill to find a post from point-blank range. A difficult chance, it was the closest Athletic came to breaking the deadlock.

At the other end, veteran Bury strike Ryan Lowe (38) - who scored his first professional goal for Shrewsbury when current Shakers team-mate Callum Styles had not yet celebrated his first birthday - felt he should have been awarded a penalty by referee Darren Bond in the 16th minute.

DRIBBLING

In real time, it seemed he had simply lost his footing when dribbling through to within range of only having Connor Ripley to beat. He claimed later that a trip by Paul Green caused the fall.

"Stone wall penalty FACT," Lowe tweeted.

At that stage, it was one-way traffic. Taylor Moore had already volleyed into the side-netting when arriving onto a cross from opposite wing-back Greg Leigh.

Bury's three-man central midfield left Athletic's middle duo Ollie Banks and Aiden O'Neill chasing shadows while unable to get front two Amadi-Holloway and Obadeyi involved enough to relieve the pressure.

James Vaughan, who entered the game with a fearsome record of 10 goals in his last eight showings, illustrated his combative side with a lunge at the ball that instead took out Connor Ripley, and wily Paul Caddis hit a powerful shot which deflected off Peter Clarke and, to Ripley's relief, over the crossbar.

Obadeyi's shot that he pulled wide from 20 yards out in the 31st minute was as much threat as Athletic could muster before manager Athletic John Sheridan made his tactical switch.

With Obadeyi taking his place on the right wing, the hosts started the second half in far brighter fashion and he hit an angled effort that was blocked over by a Bury defender.

On the break, Lowe shaped a clever effort not far wide of Ripley's left-hand post, with the goalkeeper getting his angles right to prevent an attempt on target.

Amadi-Holloway came close after O'Neill's sharp spin and flighted cross, Bury substitute George Miller stung the palms of Ripley with a shot the goalkeeper patted down before clutching and Obadeyi found the same row of seats as Jamie Reckord had earlier with a similarly wild attempt.

Premium opportunities were lacking as the game seemed to saunter towards an end result neither side would be too unhappy with.

Sheridan kept his powder dry in terms of substitutions, with Ryan Flynn's replacing O'Neill the only change made in 90 minutes.

By contrast, Bury manager Lee Clark made three changes and one of those, Miller, came close to winning it for his side in the 89th minute.

BLOCKS

Anthony Gerrard threw himself into blocks and tackles when Athletic were under the cosh in the first half, but he was at fault when trying to trick his way past Vaughan. The Shakers man edged to the byline and cut the ball into the path of Miller but his low effort was very well stopped by the feet of Ripley.

That's 15 clean sheets for the outstanding goalkeeper this season. It's at the other end of the pitch that Athletic need similar match-defining moments to start happening.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic recovered from a poor start but didn't have enough sharpness in attacking areas.