28th February 2000     

Allott & McNiven on list

TOP scorer Mark Allott and highly-rated defender Scott McNiven were today placed on the transfer list in a shock move by Athletic. The talented youngsters — who could bring in a combined fee of around £2million — have both turned down new contracts. The package offered to Middleton-born Allott would have secured him a massive 44 per cent pay rise. He has hit 11 goals so far this season and led the scoring charts last term with eight. McNiven, who broke into the side as a 16-year-old, is already one of the highest earners at Boundary Park. He is hoping a bigger club will move in for him and, in the meantime, Athletic are refusing to bow to his demands.

Both Allott (22) and McNiven (21) have become crucial members of the team after emerging through Athletic's youth system. They are out of contract in the summer and were told to refuse the new deals by their agent, Mel Stein, who also represents Paul Gascoigne. Chief executive Alan Hardy said: "We have made what we believe are excellent offers —what the club can afford —but they have been advised to reject the new terms. "We are disappointed because both players have been with Athletic all their careers and we believe they can achieve their ambitions with us. "But we will not go down the road of a few years ago by offering contracts the club cannot afford. "We are endeavouring to balance the books to keep the club on an even keel. "Both offers remain on the table and we shall keep talking to the players."

By refusing to be held to ransom, Athletic could cash in to the tune of around £800,000 for Allott and £1.2million for McNiven. Strikers are the most valuable players in the game —as the inflated transfer market frequently proves —while McNiven has already been watched by Liverpool. They would command fees as the Bosman ruling doesn't come into effect until a player is 24 or older. Manager Andy Ritchie said: "We would dearly like to keep both players as we see them as an integral part of the future — but they have turned down very good offers." Defender Shaun Garnett collected his fifth booking of the season in Saturday's 4-1 home defeat against Bristol Rovers and will now miss the match at Wycombe on Saturday week. 

TO concede one early goal is careless but can often be attributed to ‘one of those things’. To concede two early goals is dangerously sloppy but doesn’t have to mean the end of the road. Yet to be 3-0 down after just 11 minutes is virtually a criminal offence in football’s brand of law and order. That’s precisely what happened to Athletic as they slumped to their biggest home defeat of the season against a Bristol Rovers outfit who now stand proudly at the top of division two. The game was over almost before it had begun — and this was an object lesson in how not to handle opponents who specialise in away-day goal feasts. No matter who the opposition, no matter what the circumstances, a professional team should surely never fold before the pies are even hot. Athletic weren’t simply dire in that opening spell, they tripped over each other’s feet, as well as their own, and the gaps were wide enough to accommodate a double-decker bus or three.

Individual error can be blamed for two of those strikes, but the other was a collective clanger. Quite why Athletic were so mesmerised is a mystery, even when the visitors’ prolific attack is taken into account. And Rovers are, indeed, excellent going forward. Jason Roberts is a muscular striker with good touch on the ground, Jamie Cureton can never be given an inch and the midfield — especially the silky Mark Walters — support them in numbers. Yet Athletic have been solid for most of the season, making this a surprising and uncharacteristic lapse. They can usually be relied upon to keep their shape and step in with the occasional last-ditch tackle. Here, they ushered their opponents into goalscoring positions and stood aside as Rovers cashed in with style. To their credit, a beleaguered team did try to pass their way out of the mire. Athletic eventually had more shots at goal than free-scoring Rovers, but they didn’t come to terms with them until the damage was well and truly done.

The visitors were in front after only four minutes thanks to Cureton, one half of a deadly double act which now boasts 43 goals this season — the same number as Athletic’s entire squad. A long clearance by skipper Andy Tillson left Scott McNiven floundering and Cureton, showing his customary sharpness, nipped in to lob over Gary Kelly from 10 yards. Cureton, however, wasn’t content with that breakthrough and, with six-and-a-half minutes on the clock, he doubled the lead with his 21st of the campaign. This time, Roberts was the architect with a through ball to Latvian international Vitalijs Astafjevs. The midfielder strolled through Athletic’s dishevelled defence and was brought down by Neil Adams as he prepared to shoot. There was no doubt about the penalty verdict, or about Cureton’s confidence as he sent Kelly the wrong way from the spot. But still Rovers weren’t finished. Their flying start got even better when the third goal was snapped up following more weak defending by the home rearguard. When Trevor Challis passed inside from the left wing, Mark Hotte looked ready to clear his lines without too much trouble. Instead, the ball squirmed through, giving Astafjevs the chance to hammer home a low left-foot drive and send the away fans into a wave of disbelieving delight. Not surprisingly, Athletic were totally shellshocked.

They endured some hard times earlier in the season, but nothing on a scale like this. Knowing they needed a virtual miracle to earn even a draw, they were anxious and fretful, unable to string together any kind of attacking reply. Rovers, meanwhile, had so many options they didn’t know where to spring forward next. Their only problem was an injury to the dangerous Astafjevs, who was carried off with ankle damage less serious than first feared. The disappointment could have been wiped out with another goal just past the half-hour mark, only for Cureton to miss two chances — the second coming from Kelly’s miscued clearance — and Steve Foster to head wide from close range. The arrival of John Sheridan, who came on for the injured Neil Adams after feeling his neck problem ease up, was the last throw of the dice for Athletic. Although the veteran brought the first semblance of order to their play, the hosts still couldn’t muster any threat in a one-sided first half. And, only three minutes after the break, rampant Rovers made it 4-0 through impressive centre-back Andy Thomson. Athletic’s Andrew Holt was punished, perhaps harshly, for a foul on Robbie Pethick. Pethick floated in the free-kick from the right and Thomson rose superbly at the far post to plant a header high into the net from six yards.

It took a brilliant point-blank save by Kelly to prevent Roberts notching the fifth a minute later. When Athletic did find a way through to Rovers ‘keeper Rhys Evans — an 18-year-old making his league debut on loan from Chelsea — a volley from lively substitute Ryan Sugden dropped a few inches past the post. There was another Rovers debut when Trinidad and Tobago striker Nigel Pierre came on, having been allowed to play while a decision is made on his work permit. But Athletic had the final say after 67 minutes when Craig Dudley got some reward for his day of hard toil. The consolation came from Sheridan’s left-wing cross, which was headed back across goal by defender Shaun Garnett. The ball may well have crossed the line anyway, but Dudley was on hand to force it over from a couple of yards. Athletic continued to rally and created a handful of decent openings as Rovers sat back. Unfortunately, they also picked up three late bookings, with Garnett’s caution sentencing him to the club’s fifth suspension of the season.

MY first recollection of Stanley Matthews was the Matthews Cup Final in 1953 when I was just 21. I was watching it on a small 12 inch television screen and when the winner went in, I was so excited I knocked my glasses off and they flew across the room. My second memory was a Saturday lunchtime in winter nearly 10 years later. I was travelling to London from Blackburn. In those days the M6 was not finished and you had to rejoin the old A34 at Stoke. Usually the journey was a breeze. That day it was a nightmare, traffic at a standstill and cars being parked on the central reservation of the motorway. I asked what the hell was going on and a guy said simply: "Our Stan's come home." And for just pounds 2,500.

My then Oldham manager Jimmy McIlroy joined us from Stoke City and he told me of his first encounter with the legend. He had just changed and was waiting to go out for the pre-match warm-up when he heard this terrible heaving and retching coming from the toilet. Jimmy looked around in horror to find all his teammates - bar one - watching him for his reaction. The one missing was the legend, throwing up due to his pre-match nerves. Sir Stanley was so successful because he never took anything for granted and his determination to succeed was such that he worked himself up into an inner turmoil before each game.

DAVID Hillier and Nigel Pierre may be a decade apart in terms of football experience, but the fact they are eager to learn from each other sums up the attitude that has helped Rovers to the top this season. A couple of days after the Trinidadian arrived at the club, the pair walked off the training ground together with Hillier pleading: “You’ll have to teach me some of your tricks.” The 30-year-midfielder may have a Premier League winners’ medal in his sock
drawer, but wasn’t too proud to admit the 20-year-old new kid on the block could still teach him a thing or two. This time, after away win number 10 had been executed in emphatic style, it was the former Arsenal man passing on a few tips to the emerging Caribbean striker, who admitted the physical nature of his first taste of English football had been a bit of an eye-opener. “You might get a bit more time on the ball in the international game than you will here,” Hillier warned him. “At that level they might realise you can play a bit and stand off a yard. Don’t  expect that here because defenders will hammer you.”

It was an opportune moment to deliver the advice, for Pierre’s 28-minute debut came in a game which saw too many iffy challenges go unpunished by referee Ray Oliver. Oldham, hit by a whirlwind Rovers start, were too often guilty of leaving a foot or a straight arm in at a challenge. And the visitors could count themselves lucky Vitalijs Astafjevs was the only player to depart on a stretcher. The fact the outcome was effectively decided so quickly – and put beyond reach early in the second half – doubtless did much to contribute to the air of misery that hung around Boundary Park as the home crowd even gave up howling their disapproval at Andy Ritchie’s shell-shocked troops and headed for the exits. It was probably best summed up by the Latics fan who won £468 in the half-time draw and, when asked what he would do with the money, drew the biggest cheer of the afternoon by announcing: “Buy us a striker.” Rovers were once again irresistible. While Pierre may be one for the future, Jamie Cureton again proved the man of the moment with two goals inside the first six minutes.

His anticipation and speed took him clear of the hapless Scott McNiven and he delivered another superbly-judged finish to lob the first over keeper Gary Kelly.  The second was from the penalty spot after Astafjevs’ surging run into the box was abruptly ended by Neil Adams’ ill-judged tackle. The Latvian looked on top of his game and underlined the fact by firing home the third with 11 minutes gone, Trevor Challis dummying well to allow the midfielder his chance. It was a blow when Astafjevs departed but Cureton nearly increased the lead before the break with a shot a foot wide of the far post. Debutant keeper Rhys Evans had enjoyed a comfortable introduction and it wasn’t until after Andy Thomson headed home the fourth goal from a Robbie Pethick free-kick that the Latics really created a meaningful chance. Their consolation came after 67 minutes when Craig Dudley prodded home a downward header from Shaun Garnett. “The lads are buzzing and we really believe we can do it,” said Hillier enthusiastically. “Anything other than automatic promotion now would be a real disappointment, but we feel we are on a roll.” It’s hard to disagree.

WESTERN DAILY PRESS

BRISTOL Rovers cruised to top of the table with their tenth away win of the season as boss Ian Holloway proclaimed: “We’re on a roll!” Rampant Rovers showed their promotion pedigree with their first win at Oldham in 26 years – and handed the home side their biggest defeat of the season. A delighted Holloway said: “We are on a roll and we can’t afford any slip-ups. We have 14 games left and we will have to be properly focused in them all.” The game was over as a contest by the 11th minute with Rovers already three goals up and coasting. Jamie Cureton opened the scoring after four minutes, then took his tally to 21 for the season from the penalty spot two minutes later. Rovers struck again in the 11th minute when Latvian international Vitalijs Astafjevs finished off a superb flowing move which cruelly exposed Oldham’s defensive frailties. Three minutes after the break they made it four when defender Andy Thomson out-jumped everyone to make it three goals for the season with a powerful header. Holloway revealed: “We put in a lot of work during the week to keep our shape and it was much better in this game. “We also had a Russian interpreter in for Vitalijs and we saw more of what he can do. “He set up the second goal and it was a great finish when he scored the third. “There is a great unity at the club and the team spirit is excellent. That will be very important as we get closer to the finishing hurdle.” The only downside for Rovers was the loss of Latvian international Astafjevs who was stretchered off in the 29th minute with a leg injury. Holloway added: “He had the leg stamped on. “We won’t know the full extent of the damage until Monday morning but we don’t think he has broken anything.” The pick of the Rovers players was without doubt veteran Mark Walters. The 35-year-old may be in the twilight of his career but he has added style and substance as well as vast experience. Rovers gave a debut to keeper Rhys Evans who joined them on loan from Chelsea 24 hours before the game. Holloway said: “He handled himself very well and hopefully we can get him long term.” Oldham managed some consolation when Craig Dudley forced the ball into the net during a goalmouth scramble. Oldham boss Andy Ritchie stormed: “We made them look good because we were so poor.”

Oldham (4-4-2) : Kelly; McNiven, Hotte, Garnett, Holt; Adams (Sheridan 42), Duxbury, Graham, Rickers; Dudley, Whitehall
(Sugden 55). Subs not used: Miskelly, Innes, Jones.

Bristol Rovers (5-3-2): Evans; Pethick, Thomson, Tillson, Foster, Walters (Ellington 90); Astafjevs (Trees 29), Hillier, Challis; Cureton, Roberts (Pierre 62). Subs not used: Parkin, Trought.