Home truths make painful reading for Latics boss

ADAM BOYD . . . expected to provide Hartlepool’s main goal threat tonight.

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It’s time for us to end winless run – Penney

ATHLETIC are desperate to avoid creating a piece of unwanted history at Boundary Park tonight.

Hartlepool United are the visitors for this Coca-Cola League One fixture and, if Dave Penney’s men fail to register a victory, it will represent Athletic’s worst home league run for almost 89 years.

Athletic unwillingly equalled the 1920 record of nine home league games without a win when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Swindon Town in their last fixture at Boundary Park.

The miserable sequence of results stretches back to February 24 when Bristol Rovers came away with a 2-0 victory.

The last home win of any description was 10 games ago against Northampton Town on Valentine’s Day.

Athletic couldn’t even beat Accrington Stanley, second from bottom of League Two, in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Tuesday night.

And though manager Penney and many of the players in his new-look team were not at the club when the bad run of home results began, he admits it is preying on their minds.

Said Penney: “You could see against Accrington Stanley we were a bit apprehensive so we have to make sure we get the home win which will put that to bed.

“It is not as though we have played badly. We have created plenty of chances in all three home games this season. We simply have to make sure we start taking them.”

Penney has no qualms about the match being switched to tonight, a decision made because of England’s game against Slovenia tomorrow being screened live.

Indeed, the Athletic manager believes the atmosphere at evening games is often better.

Hartlepool’s season has mirrored that of Athletic as they are another team currently experiencing home blues.

They have lost all four games at the Victoria Ground - three in the league and one against Premier League side Burnley in the Carling Cup.

’Pool have not recorded a home victory in six attempts, a run stretching back to April 4 when they defeated Hereford 4-2.

Manager Chris Turner believes it is easier for teams to play away as the onus is on home sides to win - and entertain -whereas the visitors can sit back, soak up pressure and hit the opposition on the break.

And he is not too disappointed by his side’s start even though ’Pool have won only one of their five league games and are fourth from bottom.

He said: “We have a new team, rather like Dave Penney has at Oldham, and it takes time to settle.

“Obviously I would have like three or four more points, but I am quite pleased with what I have seen of our team so far.”

Like Athletic, Hartlepool’s Achilles heel has been a lack of goals.

They have managed to score only twice in the league, firing blanks against MK Dons, Charlton and Norwich.

But Turner said: “It is not as though we are not creating chances.

“We have hit the bar and post and had opposing ’keepers make great saves.

“When we lost 2-1 at home to Bristol Rovers, we had enough chances to have won by a five-goal margin.”

While Hartlepool have toiled on home soil, it has been a different story on their travels.

Their one league win came at Gillingham while they were involved in a goalless draw at MK Dons and won at Championship club Coventry City in the Carling Cup.

Hartlepool’s seven competitive matches have yielded four goals, two of them coming from summer signing Adam Boyd, who was snapped up from Leyton Orient in an £80,000 deal.

Boyd found the net in the Carling Cup ties against Coventry and Burnley but has yet to get off the mark in the league.

Tonight will be a special occasion for Athletic’s Keigan Parker, assuming he has recovered from the virus which has swept through the club.

The striker, then a Huddersfield player, had a two-month loan spell at Hartlepool last season, making nine appearances.