16th October 1999
16th October 1999 CRAIG DUDLEY and Mark Hotte are ready to make their full Athletic debuts tomorrow when Andy Ritchie takes his injury-hit squad to Cardiff.
Dudley, the 20-year-old striker who is showing his best form since signing from Notts County in March, is expected to replace David McNiven. McNiven is ruled out by an ankle problem after falling awkwardly in training. Hotte, meanwhile, will be given his chance because of injuries to Stuart Thom and Shaun Garnett. The Bradford-born 21-year-old has managed only three substitute appearances but is another player currently in good nick. Although Hotte could come in at left wing-back, with Andrew Holt moving inside, he is more likely to form a three-man line in the centre with Richard Graham and Scott McNiven.
Dudley's superior fitness will probably earn him the nod over Steve Whitehall, who returns to the squad after three games out. Iain Swan and Jordan Tait _ a recent groin-injury victim _ are left out of the 16, meaning a recall for 18-year-old Ben Futcher. The towering defender, who has yet to make his league debut, will be back on the bench. ATHLETIC (probable): Kelly, Rickers, Holt, Graham, Hotte, S McNiven, Duxbury, Sheridan, Adams, Allott, Dudley. Subs: Miskelly, Futcher, Innes, Whitehall, Tipton.
Mixed news for Ritchie on Latics injuries
OLDHAM boss Andy Ritchie today received mixed news on Athletic's worryingly long list of injured players. Phil Salt was due to play in the Manchester Senior Cup reserve match against Bury at Boundary Park last night but received a nasty ankle injury in training.
The extent of the injury is not yet known but Salt is finding it very hard to walk. Ritchie also received good news when strikers Steve Whitehall and Paul Beavers returned in a friendly that was played behind closed doors against an Army team today. Whitehall, who has only started two first team matches this season, received an ankle strain while playing in the defeat at Bristol Rovers three matches ago. He will start the friendly today with the prospect of travelling to Cardiff on Saturday if he proves his fitness. Beavers will also start today but it is nearly impossible that he will feature in the squad for Saturday as he is still a long way off full match fitness.
Beavers has been troubled by an injury to his Achilles tendon that has kept him out since the trip to Gillingham five games ago. Ritchie has also had welcome news concerning defender Stuart Thom, who suffered a broken collar bone in the vital win against Luton at the weekend. Thom broke his collarbone and it was also thought he had badly damaged his shoulder, but a scan has shown that his shoulder is just sore. The management team were also boosted by news that centre-back Shaun Garnett got through a hernia operation well and he is hoping to be back to full fitness in about five weeks. Ossur Hansen, the trialist from the Faroe Islands, featured in last night's reserve team victory but was substituted at half-time after picking up a groin strain.
Hero Hallworth’s trip down memory lane
THERE will be a familiar figure blocking the route to goal when Athletic try to slay the Welsh dragon at Cardiff City tomorrow. Still breathing fire between the posts is Jon Hallworth, one of the stars of the Boundary Park glory days and continuing to prove his worth as a top-class stopper. Hallworth played well over 200 games for Athletic between February, 1989, and the summer of 1997. He was instrumental in Cardiff’s promotion from the third division last season, but is happy to admit that his fondest memories are those inspired by Athletic and the time he spent at the highest level. “The years at Oldham were the best of my career — no doubt about that,” said Hallworth (33). “The day we won promotion at Ipswich, winning the championship against Sheffield Wednesday with the last kick of the game, every match I played in the Premiership . . . where do you want me to stop? “I always look for their result and, of course, there are plenty of players there that I know well. “Obviously Andy Ritchie is one of them, and then there are Gary Kelly, Shaun Garnett, Neil Adams, the twins — probably half the team actually. “There are times when people leave a club and don’t want them to do well, but I’d really like to see Andy do it for them. “It was never a case of me leaving on bad terms. It was just inevitable that, because my contract was still from the Premiership days, it wouldn’t be renewed when they went down to the second division.
“It will be good to see the old faces on Saturday and, yes, I’ll be keen to keep a clean sheet. “But that’s always the case and I laid that ghost to rest when we beat them 1-0 here in last year’s FA Cup. “The big one for me will be when we play them at Boundary Park. “I still have the house in Chadderton so I’ve been back a fair bit — but I’ve never returned as a player.” Hallworth signed for Cardiff on a free transfer and found the drop to basement level something of a culture shock. He said: “I was playing at places I’d never been before and it wasn’t exactly glamorous. “But, to be fair to Cardiff, we were always very professional about it and that approach paid off in the end. “My first year here was a poor one for the club and we finished fourth from bottom of the league. “Then Frank Burrows came in as manager and he really turned things round. In fact, we should have streaked away with the title last year, but we started thinking it would be easy and we ended up finishing third.” Hallworth won the club’s player-of-the-year award in his first year and followed up last season by being named in the PFA’s third division representative team.
Cardiff, he says, are beginning to
find their feet at this higher level and have a good mix of experience
and players on their way up. It is also clear that they are a club with
ambition. They may be deep in the heart of rugby union country — and club
officials will be grateful that there are no World Cup distractions tomorrow
— but success would bring big crowds to Ninian Park. Burrows responded
to promotion by spending around £750,000 in transfer fees and wages.
His most expensive recruit was Fulham’s Matt Brazier, who cost £100,000,
but Willie Boland became the highest-paid player in the club’s history
when he signed on a free from Coventry. That midfield pair were joined
in the Welsh capital by Portsmouth defender Russell Perrett, young striker
Jamie Hughes, who arrived from local non-league side Connah’s Quay, and
impressive Dutch wing-back Winston Faerber. But back to Hallworth, and
it was hard to resist asking the big ‘keeper about his role in THAT goal
— the Mark Hughes Wembley stunner which is recognised as the starting point
of Athletic’s decline. “You couldn’t really say I had much involvement,”
Hallworth said. “I just had to stand and watch it like everybody else in
the ground. “There isn’t a thing you can do about those goals and Hughes
has made a habit of scoring them over the years. “I can still see it like
it was yesterday and people remember me for it all the time. “I suppose
that’s because it’s always on the TV — it seems there’s no escape.”
Oldham started the season in appauling form, I believe they lost their first 5 games. They have though picked up a bit, at home they have won a couple of games but from 5 away trips they have only managed 1 point. It will be a huge disappointment if the Bluebirds cannot get the win that the formbooks predict.
Both teams have injury problems. Cardiff will be without Jason Bowen, Lee Phillips and Mark Bonner for sure. Scott Young and Jamie Hughes have both resumed training but tomorrow maybe too soon for them. On a positive front new loan signing Josh Low could find himself on the bench. Low played a fair game at Newtown in midweek and can play midfield and attack. Dai Thomas will probably start upfront with Kevin Nugent. The defence will probably be Eckhardt, Ford and Vaughan. Perrett is ready for first team action again but Frank is likely to stick with the back three that restricted Bristol Rovers to one goal last Saturday. With Faerber and Legg the recognized wingbacks it just leaves the midfield. First name on the teamsheet will be Danny Hill, he is in brilliant form. The other two places will probably be Boland and Cornforth thus ensuring the same strating line up as last week. That leaves Fowler (whats happened to Jase no mention of him all week), Carpenter and Brazier. Two of the three joining Kelly, Low and Perrett on the bench.