Stoke reach Wembley....match off
Andy Ritchie's reaction to win

ATHLETIC have added to their defensive options by signing Blackburn's Richard Dunning on loan to the end of the season. The 19-year-old product of Rovers' respected youth academy has spent a fortnight on trial at Boundary Park. Dunning will provide cover on the right-hand side as Athletic have only Scott McNiven and Paul Rickers to balance their defence. Neil Adams is in plaster after a foot operation, while rookie Jordan Tait has suffered knee-ligament damage just weeks after recovering from a hernia. A striker is Andy Ritchie's long-established priority, but Dunning has impressed during two games for the reserves. The move also gives Ritchie a chance to judge him in more detail in case McNiven makes a surprise move before tomorrow's transfer deadline. The chances of Athletic selling any of their transfer-listed players look to be fading fast. There could be a late swoop for one of the seven still on the market, but serious enquiries have not been forthcoming.

Meanwhile, Ritchie's side made almost certain of their safety last night when Andrew Holt's spectacular goal earned a narrow victory at Colchester. The manager said: ``We rode our luck a bit in the second half but battled very well. ``We allowed ourselves to be pushed back at times and it can be difficult when the other team have the upper hand. ``But our first-half performance was better, so I thought we just about edged it. ``We keep telling Holty to get forward and have a go, and his shot really flew in.'' John Sheridan, who picked up his fifth booking of the season last night, will escape a ban as the deadline for such a punishment passed three weeks ago. Paul Rickers was taken off after suffering a blow on the foot, but he is expected to recover before Saturday's trip to Scunthorpe. 

ANY Athletic fan who doesn’t travel to away games really ought to pluck up the courage and make an exception. Perhaps give Colchester a miss on a fog-bound Tuesday night, but this Athletic team is usually unrecognisable away from Boundary Park. The sixth win on their travels came courtesy of two huge turning points — Andrew Holt’s stunning first-half strike and a late penalty miss which cost the home side a share of the spoils. Yet, while Colchester had more chances — especially during the second half — Athletic produced the kind of cohesive team effort which has become a struggle in front of their home crowd. Although the most recent example came only three days earlier against Bristol City, manager Andy Ritchie gave another chance to the same 11 players. The only change was on the bench, where midfielder Danny Boshell got the nod over striker Ryan Sugden.

Colchester were without three centre-backs, forcing top scorer Steve McGavin to drop into midfield. The problems didn’t stop manager Steve Whitton making a bold proclamation on BBC Radio Essex: “We might have to re-organise, but we’ll be good enough to beat Oldham.” Having denigrated — almost dismissed — the opponents, Whitton’s team failed to justify that faith. They were unable to convert possession into goals and — living up to their billing as the Football League’s second-worst defensive side — occasionally looked as secure as a wide-open window. They were useful going forward, but the only real stand-out was teenage sensation Lomana Tresor Lua Lua. The forward has pace, balance and a speed of foot which must make him the Wayne Sleep of lower-division football. Lua Lua looked a marvellous player in the making, including when winning his side’s penalty, and the visitors sometimes needed as much luck as judgement to  handle his exciting breaks. Otherwise, Athletic stuck to their task admirably and scrapped for their lives in a bid to protect the lead. They weren’t back to their best, despite the victory, but gained reward for a night of unremitting effort. Lee Duxbury led by example in midfield, the back three stood firm — with Paul Jones again excelling — and matchwinner Holt had his best game for some time.

The result had a hint of good fortune, but three clean sheets in four away games is not a record to be sneezed at. The first shot in anger was a highly-ambitious one from Colchester’s Karl Duguid, who aimed a speculative 35-yard drive past Gary Kelly’s post. Lua Lua was next to threaten, getting on the end of Joe Keith’s deep cross to send a header looping over the bar. But the best early opening fell to Athletic after a cleverly-worked free-kick in the 15th minute. It ended with Holt producing a neat turn and cross from the left, only for defender Shaun Garnett to make a hash of his header when allowed the freedom of Layer Road. Shortly after, they went even closer when John Sheridan floated over a corner and Steve Whitehall was first with the flick. The touch was certainly goalbound until David Gregory appeared on the Colchester line to make a last-gasp interception. Athletic, however, having built some attacking impetus, were not to be denied. The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute and from a position which looked, to say the least, innocuous. When Craig Dudley laid the ball to Holt a full 30 yards from goal, it was clear that any shot would require ultra-precision.

Holt found just what was needed, hitting an inch-perfect daisy-cutter which never rose more than an inch or two from the turf as it arrowed into the bottom corner. Although goalkeeper Simon Brown reacted slowly, there was no denying that the wing-back’s second goal of the season was an absolute blinder. Things went from bad to worse for Colchester who, having begun with a depleted backline, saw two more defenders limp off. But they almost hit back after 36 minutes when former Tottenham man Jason Dozzell found space in the area and brought a smart save from Kelly, low down by his near post. Lua Lua also chanced his arm before the first half was up and, as the hosts took the initiative for the first time, a delicate pass from McGavin saw Athletic forced into some desperate blocking tackles. The visitors were back on top immediately after the break, with Whitehall’s deflected free-kick needing to be scrambled around the post.

Colchester, however, should have equalised after 52 minutes when Gregory failed to connect properly with a great opening only six yards from goal. As the fog descended, Lua Lua’s trickery earned him another chance to test Kelly. After impressing when running at defenders, the youngster then sliced hopelessly over the top after getting as clear a sight of goal as the gathering gloom would allow. Colchester’s domination continued when McGavin’s diving header flashed wide at the midway point of the half. And, 13 minutes from time, came the inglorious summing up of their failures in front of goal. When Lua Lua was tripped in the area by Garnett, having already wriggled clear of three tackles, referee Steve Bennett pointed to the spot. McGavin stepped up — and walloped an atrocious penalty way over Kelly’s crossbar. Substitute Mark Allott forced a save from Brown as Athletic made a rare foray forward, but The U’s came close again when Holt almost diverted the ball into his own net.It was to be deflated Colchester’s last chance of a point, allowing Athletic to hang on grimly and make their exhausting late-night quest very much worthwhile.

 The Latics have signed Blackburn defender Richard Dunning and let David McNiven join Southport. Dunning is 19 years old and will be a free agent in the summer. He has signed on at Boundary Park until the end of the season. Meanwhile David McNiven, who is being allowed to leave on a free transfer, has joined Conference outfit Southport, again it is a loan deal until the end of the season.

 The Latics moved a place up the table after Tuesday's hard fought 1-0 win over Colchester and Andy Ritchie was delighted with the performance.The win means for the first time in many years the Latics have now picked up more wins away from home in a season, than they have at Boundary Park.The vital goal was struck by Andrew Holt in only his second game of the season.The Latics now go to relegation battlers Scunthorpe on Saturday hoping to continue the fine form away from home.The boss said: "It was a big win for us and it has put us back on track after some disappointing performances. They came back strongly in the second half and forced us to do a lot of defending but we held out."Teamtalk Stoke City

Stoke City are on their way to Wembley in the Auto Windscreens Shield after a 1-0 home victory over Rochdale gave them a 4-1 aggregate win. The game opened brightly in the first half, with Rochdale coming into the game more and more with every minute, though goal chances were few and far between. Although Dale were desperate to score and put themselves in with a chance of reaching Wembley, Stoke's defence were resolute. In the second half, the game was a lot more open, with chances at either end.  On 47 minutes, Stoke striker Peter Thorne was lucky to stay on the pitch after a late challenge on Evans, but the referee took no action after apparently missing the incident. Rochdale went close with a Ford header before Thorne placed a far post header just wide of the upright. Stoke threw on Lightbourne and Gudjonsson in place of O'Connor and Gunnlaugsson, and the gamble paid off when they took the lead in the 86th minute through Peter Thorne. Man-of-the-match Graham Kavanagh played in a free-kick from the wing and Thorne rose at the far post to place a header downward and into the back of the net and send the majority of the 16,800 crowd wild. The 1-0 home result meant a 4-1 win on aggregate and means Stoke will play against Bristol City in the Auto Windscreens Final at Wembley on April 16.

My only hope now is that they dig deep into their energy banks and come up with performances that will, at the very least, return some pride and help erase the memory of a dreadful, ill-disciplined evening on the south coast. Megson has already declared that Albion have a long way to go before they are right. This awful offering merely illustrated how far. The trouble is they are running out of games. When some of the most loyal fans in football turn their backs on their beloved club with over 15 minutes still to go, it speaks volumes. They rose - silently and miserably - in their dozens from the moment skipper Matt Carbon was dismissed for a second bookable offence and by the time the final whistle went, more than half the travelling 500 who had given up an afternoon's pay packet to offer their support had melted into the Portsmouth night sky. It wasn't just the scoreline. It was more the collective failure to compete after falling behind to a highly-controversial 27th minute penalty from Steve Claridge. The Baggies failed to test home keeper Aaron Flahavan once after the interval.

Not a shot, not a header went his way. From the moment Carbon flashed a first half header against the woodwork after recalled James Quinn's free-kick, it was back to those grim pre-Little days. One of Little's worst days in charge was the pre-Christmas 3-1 defeat at Ipswich which saw Albion finish with nine men - Carbon was sent off in that one as well - before the infamous tunnel bust-up between teammates Alan Miller and Jason van Blerk. Last night was not much better. Megson was forced to watch two thirds of his side's 15th First Division defeat from the main stand after being ordered from the dugout for protesting too strongly against the penalty decision that gave Pompey the lead. In addition, Carbon became Albion's seventh red card of the campaign, a new club record. To cap it all their latest setback gave neighbours and fellow strugglers Walsall, 2-1 winners at Port Vale, a huge psychological lift at such a critical stage of the season.

Yet there was no sign of what was to come when Lee Hughes and Mickey Evans combined to carve out an opening for Quinn after 24 minutes. But when the Northern Ireland international lifted his shot over the bar from 12 yards, little did Albion know it would kick start their hosts into action. Moments later top scorer Claridge forced Brian Jensen into the first of four fine saves with a sweetly- struck low shot from 18 yards to which the big Dane did well to get down and turn behind his post. Then came the defining moment of the night. Former Walsall loan signing Kevin Harper, who proved a real handful all night, raced deep into the Baggies half only to be clean tackled by Carbon. The ball ran loose but when Jensen dived at Claridge's feet referee Graham Poll decided that a foul had been committed. At best, it was a poor decision. At worst, it was a downright disgrace. But it stood and former Birmingham striker Claridge picked himself up to send Jensen the wrong way from the spot for his 14th goal of the season.

In the furious protests that followed Megson was ordered out of the dugout while Daryl Burgess, Sean Flynn and Quinn were fortunate not to be booked. Moments later Lee Bradbury, a real thorn in the Albion defence, wasted a great opportunity to double his side's lead with a header before Carbon nodded against the post to register Albion's best effort of the game. Not to be outsmarted Portsmouth immediately replied through a thunderous effort by Shaun Derry which rattled the post. If Albion battled for parts of the first half then they threw in the towel after the break. Even the introduction of loan-signing Des Lyttle, signed just hours before kick-off, failed to inspire them although the little Watford wide-man showed enough pace to suggest his spell at The Hawthorns could yet prove a useful one. Jensen was forced into further saves by Thomas Thogersen and Bradbury before Carbon's dismissal for a second bookable offence on the latter with 18 minutes remaining. Again Albion had a right to feel hard done by. While there was no disputing the former England Under-21 defender's crunching first challenge on Bradbury, the second was highly disputable. The busy Derry sealed the points when he netted in off the post after a terrific solo run following a mistake by substitute Alan Oliver four minutes from time. Pompey players greeted the final whistle as though their First Division status had been secured. Another couple of wins and it will be.

As for sorry Albion it is looking more like Boundary Park Oldham than Fratton Park Portsmouth next season.