Stand firm says Taggart

Gerry Taggart

ATHLETIC must be stout in battling against North Sea wind, rain and a team determined to prove its worth tonight, says Athletic’s assistant manager Gerry Taggart.

While the trip to the North-East town of Hartlepool is usually a difficult one — the 1-0 win last season was Athletic’s first there since 1970 — the pressure is firmly on the shoulders of the visitors at Victoria Park.

That’s because Pools are anchored to the bottom of npower League One. Athletic are quite simply expected to win, against a side which has just been thrashed 5-0 at home by Coventry City.

Athletic are three places higher than Pools. And to climb out of the bottom-four by defeating John Hughes’s side tonight (7.45pm kick-off), Taggart has warned his men will have to show more relish for the battle than they did in the second half at Bournemouth.

“This is one of those trips that can get to players psychologically,” said Paul Dickov’s right-hand man.

“It is a Tuesday night game and with respect, it is not the most picturesque place in the world.

“John Hughes has seen what his players are about and after a home defeat he will be looking to shore things up at the back.

“The players are going to have to grind out a result — it is as simple as that. There is no point dolling it up.”

Jean-Yves Mvoto bundled home the only goal of the game at a stage late last season when Athletic really needed the victory to steer away from the drop zone.

Despite the poor recent run, which has seen Athletic pick up only one point from a possible 15, Taggart doesn’t buy into the idea that this is the most significant match in months.

“I don’t look at it like that, no,” he added. “Every game is a big one.

“You can’t go into games thinking this is do or die. You have to remain on an even keel, mentally.”

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