19th December 2000  

Latics FRYed and battered

ATHLETIC will tonight chase a £200,000 pot of gold when they take on Peterborough United in an FA Cup second-round replay at Boundary Park. With an away tie at Premiership giants Chelsea the prize, victory would provide pennies from heaven for cash-strapped Athletic. Manager Andy Ritchie said: “It is a massive game for both clubs when you look at the rewards for the winners. “The players should not need any incentive because it is a great chance to play on one of the biggest stages in the country against international players and in front of a big crowd. “The draw has created a lot of media interest and has generated a lot of cup fever.” 

Despite the attraction of a tie against Chelsea, Ritchie says his players will be fully focused on tonight’s game, having failed to finish off Peterborough at London Road, where the home side scored a late equaliser. “That rankles and I am still puzzled at how the referee found so much time to add on. But that has gone and we have to get on with the business of getting through tonight,” said Ritchie. Ritchie is likely to select his side from the 16 players who featured in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bury. 

Captain Lee Duxbury will be given a late fitness check, but he is unlikely to have recovered from the hamstring injury which has kept him out for the last two-and-a-half weeks. 

ATHLETIC (probable): Kelly, Rickers, McNiven Garnett, Innes, Sheridan, Boshell, Carss, Eyres, Corazzin, Dudley. Subs: Miskelly, Holt, Hotte, Salt, Allott. 

Peterborough are likely to have defender Dean Hooper back after missing Friday’s derby against Cambridge with food poisoning. Striker Jason Lee, who was also struck down, is expected to reclaim a starting spot. 

PETERBOROUGH (probable): Tyler, Hooper, Drury, Edwards, Rae, Forsyth, Oldfield, Farrell, Clarke, Lee, McKenzie. Subs (from): Shields, Gill, Connor, Green, Forington, Cullen. 

Contractors were today winning the race to get the Boundary Park pitch ready in time. But they were expecting to be working on the ground right up to kick-off to complete the £24,000 repair programme. The project, which began last week, has entailed laying 1,820 metres of gravel slits to improve drainage and replacing problem areas with 300 square metres of fibre-reinforced slab turf. Ritchie says the surface will resemble a patchwork quilt, but he has been assured it will play better than it looks. If Athletic win, tickets for the Chelsea tie will go on sale tomorrow to season-ticket holders. 

THE final match of the calendar year will, waterlogged pitches permitting, also represent the halfway point of Athletic’s league season.

And, in many ways, this campaign has mirrored the last, with an atrocious start giving way to a run of results which has stabilised the club’s position.

After setting off with a high-octane win against Port Vale, Athletic were unlucky to go down at Walsall and bounced back to beat first-division Huddersfield in the Worthington Cup.

Few could have predicted — another win against Huddersfield aside — that it would be mid-October before the players were celebrating a much-needed victory.

The position is now much healthier, although Athletic remain closer to the bottom than the top and will be dragged into serious danger if they regress.

Priority number one must be to reach the safety mark, which is usually around 50 points, and only then can they start aiming higher and try to beat last season’s finish of 14th place.

Athletic have used 28 players so far, including two on loan (Chris Lightfoot and Paul Smith) and another (Mark Watson) on a one-month trial.

Here is the half-term report on those who have featured in 11 matches or more.

GARY KELLY — appearances 26, goals none: Wasn’t blameless when the side went 10 league games without a win. Athletic’s biggest downfall was their defensive record, and the goalkeeper was going through a wobble of his own. Kelly is looking much better now and is the only man to start every game of the season.

PAUL JONES — apps 13 (plus two sub), goals two: Started the season in pole position at the heart of defence, having established himself last term. Was dropped during the bad run and his best chance of a recall, once he recovers from injury, could be at right-back. Always willing.

SHAUN GARNETT — apps 19, goals one: Described by Andy Ritchie as the rock of the side, and many an aerial attack founders on the big centre-back. Has looked strong since breaking his hand three months ago (suspicions grow that he now only wears the cast to look tough) and still a vital player.

MARK HOTTE — apps 11 (plus two), goals none: Another young defender whose confidence seemed to dip when the goals were flying in. Hotte’s recovery in form was halted when he broke his hand and he will struggle to get back unless Garnett or Scott McNiven is injured.

SCOTT McNIVEN — apps 22 (plus two), goals none: Missed pre-season with a fractured cheekbone and it took him a while to make up for lost time. Had another brief run in midfield before settling down at centre-back, where he has been excellent in recent weeks. That is now his best position and Athletic should leave him there.

ANDREW HOLT — apps 14 (plus four), goals one: With well over 100 league games behind him, albeit at a relatively young 22, the time has surely come for Holt to play to his potential. Was generally good last season, though not as good as he could have been, but inconsistency has seen him axed for the first time in his career. Needs to show an intense passion to emerge as a stronger player.

PAUL RICKERS — apps 18, goals two: Has done his usual job of filling in here, there and everywhere and is well respected throughout the club. It’s a status he deserves as an out-and-out team man and, though he hasn’t always been at his best this season, he never lets Athletic down.

MARK INNES — apps 18 (plus four), goals none: Was tried out at left-back a couple of times before being given his chance to cement the position. Has needed to learn quickly since making that switch and it’s so far, so good. While Innes is still vulnerable against a canny winger, he has finally become a key member of the side. So hard-up Athletic have a dilemma — should they tell him he has a definite future with the club, or should they leave one of their most saleable assets on the transfer list?

NEIL ADAMS — apps 18, goals two: Missed a chunk of last season through injury and is back on the sidelines until next year. Adams started in blinding form, suffered a dip and was rejuvenated by the switch to 4-4-2 as it allowed him to concentrate on creating goals, rather than stopping them — a job he has proved he can still do well.

LEE DUXBURY — apps 24, goals five: Driving force, inexhaustible workhorse and the joint-top scorer to boot. When Athletic were struggling, some of us questioned the commitment within the side. But Duxbury was always an exception and is the player of the year so far.

TONY CARSS — apps 11, goals none: When 24-year-old Carss arrived from Carlisle, many fans asked: “Tony who?” It was probably a fair question as the 24-year-old had never set the world alight with his six previous clubs. But regular supporters certainly know him now, as does any opponent who goes into a 50-50 tackle with this rugged competitor. Could become one of Ritchie’s best acquisitions.

DANNY BOSHELL — apps 11 (plus four), goals two: Looked like Athletic’s best prospect when he broke through last season and nothing has happened to change that view. The teenager has grown in stature over the last four months, even keeping John Sheridan out of central midfield. Does not lack confidence and, though Duxbury, Sheridan and Carss offer tough competition, should be given as many opportunities as possible.

DAVID EYRES — apps 11, goals one: It’s usually a risk to sign a 36-year-old, but Eyres was a late starter in professional football and gets up and down as well as anyone. He has also added balance to the side, plus quality passing and crossing. Hard to fault so far and, along with Carss, has tasted defeat only twice in his 11 games.

MARK ALLOTT — apps 16 (plus seven), goals three: Signed a new contract in the hope of teaming up with Carlo Corazzin, which he was allowed to do for six weeks. A poor goals return then saw him dropped to the bench, from where he is yet to emerge on a regular basis. Has kept his head down and worked hard to end a disappointing run.

CARLO CORAZZIN — apps 22, goals five: Arrived to the sound of fanfares and became an instant terrace favourite by netting in his first two home games. Has often looked below par since then and perhaps doesn’t take up as many scoring positions as he should. To be fair to Corazzin — or Carlo One-Shot as he was quickly dubbed by a mischievous team-mate — he works tremendously hard and has lots of time to up his goals ratio.

MATTHEW TIPTON — apps three (plus 11), goals two: Still showing flashes of brilliance, still unable to win a regular place. Despite looking a more mature player since a mini-run last term, Tipton seems just as liable to get booked at the moment as he does to score goals.

CRAIG DUDLEY — apps 14 (plus five), goals five: After a brief sortie at right-back, Dudley is establishing himself as the kind of striker who is an absolute pain in the backside for defenders. Everyone knew he was quick and direct, but the angle of his running is getting better. If he can steady his finishing and not get caught offside so easily, Dudley will be a cracking prospect.

Teamtalk Oldham

A goal from Richard Forsyth saw Peterborough beat Oldham 1-0 to go through to the 3rd round of the FA Cup where they will face Chelsea. Barry Fry though can thank his keeper Mark Tyler, after a first class performance won them a trip to Stamford Bridge in the next round. It took just five minutes for the deadlock to be broken, with Richard Forsyth scoring his second goal of the season. Jason Lee set up the chance, his flick with the outside of the foot found Forsyth and he made no mistake one on one with Kelly, firing his right foot shot into the corner of the net. Posh probably should have double their advantage soon after with two decent chances for Andy Clarke, but Kelly was on hand to deny both efforts. Midway through the half, former Nottingham Forest striker Jason Lee went close to making it two, but this time his shot drifted just wide.

The turning point for Oldham came when leading scorer Craig Dudley had to go off injured, to be replaced by Mark Allott. Allott start to cause Peterborough problems straight away, and forced Tyler into a smart save after a decent strike. Allott then saw another shot unluckily come off the bar and cleared, and the sub was involved near the end of the half when he set up a chance for Corrazzin, but Tyler was their again to block. In the second half, Oldham threw everything forward in search of an equaliser but were denied each time by an inspired Mark Tyler. The keeper, who's been watched by several Premiership clubs this season, pulled off a string of fine saves to earn Posh a place in the next round. David Eyres in particular was frustrated by the keeper, the former Preston man was thwarted on no fewer than five occasions. The best save came when Eyres came into the box to fire a right wing cross towards goal, Tyler flung his body to block, but then managed to get up and grasp the ball right on the line. 

Official Oldham Athletic Web Site

Contractors were today finishing the final section of turfing on the Boundary Park pitch in readiness for tonight's FA Cup Second Round replay against Peterborough.

The pitch should be completed by mid-afternoon in plenty of time for the 7.45 pm kick off, although heavy rain is expected from 3 pm onwards.

Chief Executive Alan Hardy said "It was vital that we got this work completed now". It was obvious that by doing nothing we were certain to lose more games because the water table was so high and the ground could not take much more rain. We hope this work should give us a good chance of getting through the rest of the season with little or no disruption to our schedule. However following five rain-free days during which the work has progressed reasonably well we now find that come match day heavy rain is forecast to arrive in Oldham from around 3 pm this afternoon and continue throughout the night. It will be a good test for the new gravel slits that have been installed and of course the re-turfing. We hope that the rain is not too torrential and we can complete the fixture tonight.
 

Latics youth progressed to the Fourth Round of the AXA sponsored FA Youth Cup last night with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Brighton in the game played at Bognor Regis. The Brighton team were physically bigger than the Latics youngsters, many of which were only first year scholars, but the boys from Boundary Park were not intimidated by the tough tactics of their South coast opponents. The game was finely balanced until Team Manager Dave Cross made a substitution with 30 minutes left. He brought on the diminutive Gareth Wademan and within 10 minutes of his introduction Wademan had broke away to score the only goal of the game. It was a fine all-round team performance which now sees Latics travel to London to face one of Dave Cross' former clubs West Ham Utd, the date of this game has yet to be fixed.

The winners of the Latics v Wigan clash in the LDV Vans Trophy, which will now take place on the 9th January, will face an away tie against Walsall which will take place at the Bescot Stadium on Tuesday 16th January.

BBC Sport

Peterborough held off an Oldham onslaught for a 1-0 victory and the right to face Premiership glamour boys Chelsea in a money-spinning third round tie. And they owe a huge debt to goalkeeper Mark Tyler. The 23-year-old has been in impressive form this season and has already had his card marked by several Premiership clubs. He stood alone and frustrated all Oldham's efforts to get into the game. Tyler was in inspired form and several top class saves were even applauded by the home fans. Oldham were left chasing the game after just five minutes. Peterborough struck with ease when their slow defence failed to cut out a David Farrell cross. Richard Forsyth spotted the opening and with Oldham keeper Gary Kelly totally exposed he drilled a low shot into the far corner. Oldham struggled in their efforts to get back on level terms but must have felt they were still in with a chance when they went in at the break without any further damage.

They looked a different side in the second half when they went all out for an equaliser. But Tyler, who had denied Canadian striker Carlo Corazzin with a stunning save just before the interval, was equal to everything they had to offer. The Posh keeper made two more absolutely top-drawer stops to keep out David Eyres in the 50th and 55th minutes. He was there again in the 76th minute to deny Eyres in a one-on-one situation. Despite all Oldham's late efforts they just could not find the breakthrough. 

CASH-STRAPPED Posh could receive a welcome financial windfall of £300,000 if they topple Oldham in tonight’s FA Cup second round replay at Boundary Park (Tuesday 7.45pm kick-off).

That’s the estimated reward for playing a third round tie at Premiership giants Chelsea, the glittering prize which awaits tonight’s winners.
Posh would be entitled to an equal share of the gate receipts from Stamford Bridge, but they would also benefit financially from a decision to use highlights from the match on terrestrial and satellite television.
Posh chief executive Nigel Hards said: “It’s the plum draw as far as we are concerned. It’s not too far to travel and they attract big gates so I would expect us to make somewhere between £200,000-£300,000 if we get a crowd around the 30,000 mark.
“It won’t make a difference to the underlying financial trend, but the money would certainly be a big boost to the balance sheet. It’s better to make money this way then selling a player.“
Posh boss Barry Fry added: “My players want to test themselves against some of the best players in the country, I want to pit my wits against a Premiership manager and the fans would have a great day out, but the biggest reason for winning tonight is the cash boost it would give the club.
“We travel in confident mood and I hope to surprise Oldham with one or two things. They played well at our place in the first game, but we were without key men like Simon Rea and Andy Clarke, while several others who did play were ill so I expect to set them some different problems tonight.”
Fry declined to reveal his preferred line-up, but Dean Hooper is expected to replace Matthew Gill at right-back, while striker Jason Lee could start the match instead of midfielder Tony Shields if the manager opts to play Andy Clarke on the left-wing.
Oldham are expected to recall skipper Lee Duxbury to the side. The midfielder missed the weekend draw at Bury because of a calf strain.Tyler will be spot on for dream trip

IF a trip-of-a-lifetime to Chelsea hinges on a penalty shoot-out tonight then few would back against goalkeeper Mark Tyler taking Posh to Stamford Bridge. Tyler is the new darling of the London Road terraces thanks to a stream of outstanding performances. A penalty-save which clinched three points against Northampton last season was followed by a hero’s display at Wembley and on Friday night he even managed to win grudging respect from fanatical Cambridge supporters. That latest bout of excellence earned him the titles of ‘best Posh ‘keeper ever’ (not a bad tag considering David Seaman started his playing career at London Road) and ‘best ‘keeper in the Nationwide League’, but Tyler is embarrassed as well as encouraged by the praise.

He said: “I’m only 23 and I’m still learning, although of course it’s great to hear those sort of comments. I’m not sure about the best goalkeeper in Posh history bit because I used to clean Ian Bennett’s boots in my apprentice days and he was pretty good. It’s always nice to play well in the big games and I’ve been lucky lately. I enjoyed Friday night, but I reckon I played much better against Cambridge at home the other season when we beat them 2-1.
“I was injured early in that game so I couldn’t kick the ball at all, but we still managed to keep out a side which included Trevor Benjamin and Martin Butler. I was busy on Friday, yet I reckon some of the other lads deserved plenty of praise as well because that bug which ripped through the squad during the week definitely affected us. I managed to avoid it thankfully.”

Tyler’s goalkeeping heroes as he grew up were Neville Southall and Peter Schmeichel, but for obvious reasons he most wants to meet up with Dutch giant Ed De Goey in a cup-tie in front of a packed Stamford Bridge early in the New Year.
The Posh number one insists his team-mates have deliberately avoided talking about the possibility of challenging Chelsea’s invincibility.
Tyler added: “Since the draw was made we’ve concentrated on playing Cambridge and since that game we’ve concentrated on beating Oldham. They’ll fancy playing Chelsea just as much as us so we’re in for a very tight, competitive game tonight. They’re obviously a lot better than when we beat them easily in August as they showed at our place. But we’re hard to beat these days so they’d be mistaken if they think they’ve done the hard part by winning a replay.

RECENT FORM

OLDHAM are grinding out results lately as they claw their way slowly out of the second division relegation zone. Only leaders Millwall have beaten The Latics in their last seven matches in all competitions, although that run includes several draws, including the first tie at Posh 10 days ago.
Oldham are currently five points behind Posh in Division Two, but they have a game in hand.

LAST FIVE GAMES
v Bury (a)D1-1 (NL)
v Posh (a)D1-1 (FAC)
v Oxford (h)W3-2 (NL)
v Millwall (h)L0-1 (NL)
v Hednesford (a)W4-2 (FAC)
Key: FAC=FA Cup, NL=Nationwide League.

PAST MEETINGS

POSH had never previously been drawn against Oldham in any cup competition, but nine Football League meetings have produced a 5-3 win-ratio for The Latics.
Posh gained their latest win in August when goals from Andy Clarke, Francis Green, David Farrell and Guy Whittingham secured a resounding 4-1 win.