No complaints

IN THE WAY: Athletic striker Pawel Abbott (right) has a shot blocked by an Accrington Stanley defender. Pictures by VINCENT BROWN

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

Athletic 1, Accrington 2

Second-half show stuns Latics boss

ATHLETIC’S home blues continued as they were embarrassingly knocked out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy by Coca-Cola League Two basement boys Accrington Stanley.

In an extraordinary night at Boundary Park, Dave Penney’s side produced another Jekyll and Hyde display.

Athletic were excellent in the opening period, but excruciatingly bad in the second half against opponents who are next-to-bottom in League Two.

Penney must be wondering how his side can blow so hot and cold in the space of 90 minutes as their winless sequence on home soil continued.

Last night’s defeat extended their bleak home run to 10 games without a win, a sequence stretching back to Valentine’s Day in mid-February when they overcame Northampton Town.

Penney had no complaints about the result, declaring: “It was the proverbial game of two halves.

“We went a goal up through Danny Whitaker and created a lot of chances and should have come off at half-time two or three up, but we could not kill off Accrington.

“We should still have won 1-0 but they were better than us in the second half and, in the end, deserved to win.

“That has been the story of our season, a failure to take more of the chances we have created. That is something we have to put right if we are to win games.

“We were poor, especially in the second half which was disappointing after our battling performance at Brentford. We have to do far better than that if we are to achieve anything this season.”

Athletic’s start to the season has been erratic, but you have to have sympathise with Penney, whose squad has been decimated through injury and illness.

There were seven senior players on the sidelines last night before Andy Holdsworth joined the list after coming off feeling unwell.

You only had to look at last night’s bench — all five players were aged 18 years and under — to realise how strapped Athletic are for numbers.

But it is unfair to judge Athletic until everybody is back in action.

Penney stuck to his pledge to play his strongest possible line up as nine of the starters from Brentford kicked off this match.

The unwell Keigan Parker was replaced by Kieran Lee on the right of midfield while new-loan signing Alan Sheehan made his debut at left-back following the departure of Peter Gilbert.

Whitaker was the catalyst for Athletic’s impressive first-half display, breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute. And with a modicum of luck he could easily have netted a first half hat-trick.

Pawel Abbott cut the ball back from the right corner and Whitaker, running on to the pass, rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Not long after Whitaker was put clean through by an inch-perfect pass from Lee, only for the Accrington defence to scramble the ball away for a corner with ’keeper Ian Dunbavin stranded in no-man’s land.

Whitaker went close again on two further occasions just before the break.

A terrific drive from the midfield man beat Dunbavin, only for Phil Edwards to spectacularly head the ball off the goalline.

Abbott also flashed a shot narrowly wide while, at the other end, Reuben Hazell produced a last-gasp tackle to deny Chris Turner.

The second half was a complete turnaround.

Accrington assumed command and the warning signs were flashing long before they equalised on the hour.

’Keeper Dean Brill had earlier saved well to deny substitute James Ryan, but could nothing to prevent the leveller.

Accrington’s opener was a gift as Sean Gregan, attempting to cut out a low, left-wing cross from Michael Symes, diverted the ball into his own net.

Worse was to follow six minutes later when Phil Edwards ran on to a corner from Miles and steered his shot low to the right of Brill.

Penney threw on teenagers Chris Rowney and Djeny Bembo-Leta for their competitive debuts and another youngster Ryan Brooke, but there was no way back for Athletic.


Last night’s results —

Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, Northern Section, first round: Burton Albion 1 Chesterfield 5, Crewe 1 Stockport 4, Darlington 1 Lincoln City 0, Morecambe 2 Carlisle 2Carlisle win 4–2 on penalties, Oldham 1 Accrington Stanley 2, Rochdale 1 Bradford 2, Rotherham 1 Huddersfield 2, Walsall 0 Bury 0 — Bury won 5–4 on penalties.

Southern Section, first round: Barnet 2 Millwall 0, Bournemouth 2 Yeovil 1, Cheltenham 1 Torquay 3, Gillingham 1 Colchester 1 — Gillingham won 4–3 on penalties, Hereford 0 Bristol Rovers 0 — Hereford won 4–2 on penalties, Milton Keynes Dons 3 Dag & Red 1, Norwich 1 Brentford 0, Wycombe 2 Northampton 2 — Northampton won 3–0 on penalties.