28th September 2000   

Lightfoot want's to stay
Remember the Ritchie interview? ....

ATHLETIC boss Andy Ritchie is losing patience with his players — and has slammed them for making the same mistakes in every match. After a second-half collapse saw them hammered 5-1 by Sheffield Wednesday in the Worthington Cup, Ritchie rapped: “I’m sick of saying the same things.” Athletic were dumped 8-2 on aggregate as they paid the penalty for bad finishing and a nightmare last 20 minutes. While Ritchie stressed he was more concerned with league results, he pulled no punches in his post-match verdict. “We have to start learning quickly,” the manager said. “We had a lot of injuries and a lot of young lads in, but the people who are out there should be doing better. I keep saying the same things to them. I may as well just leave a tape recorder in the dressing room and tell them to switch it on after each game. They must be tired of hearing it, so you’d think they’d do something about it —I know I would. “You could say we didn’t deserve 5-1, but we have to start defending better and getting bodies in where it hurts. 

“We gave goals away with stupid errors and two of the five came from our front players not keeping the ball. You have to have a calm head in the box, but we haven’t been showing it. “We are creating chances every week, but we aren’t making the most of them. And we are giving it away in bad areas at the back. “This result doesn’t matter to an extent — it’s Saturday’s game against Cambridge that really counts. “But we would have liked to have won, which I thought we had every chance of doing. Things like this don’t do much for confidence at an important time of the season.” 

Athletic will be gunning for their first win in nine league games when Cambridge visit Boundary Park on Saturday. Ritchie is expecting another tough assignment against a team riding high in sixth place. He is hoping to welcome back Chris Lightfoot, Carlo Corazzin and Neil Adams, all of whom missed the game at Hillsborough. The three senior players had minor injuries and, bearing in mind Athletic’s place in the relegation zone, Ritchie decided not to risk them.

FIRST things first: By no stretch of the imagination did Athletic deserve to crash out of the Worthington Cup second round with such a humiliating defeat. They had four efforts cleared off the line, fashioned several other chances and could have come away from Hillsborough with at least a creditable draw. Strange, maybe, but true. If they had been less wayward in front of goal, they might even have taken Sheffield Wednesday into extra time instead of looking back on an 8-2 aggregate thrashing.

Yet, the fact is, they weren’t, they didn’t and they are. Athletic were hit by a four-goal blast in the last 22 minutes and, for all the foul luck which stalked their every move, failed once again to master football’s basics at either end of the field. They do have a host of injuries at the moment and, only a few weeks ago, no-one could have predicted the side they were forced to field last night. The changes this time saw Mark Watson make his debut in defence, while, in his first start, Barry Prenderville began at right wing-back, then moved into the middle and was finally taken off.

To put it mildly, neither had the most auspicious of baptisms, though Watson did have the excuse of rustiness in his first senior match for five months. But the new boys were far from the only guilty parties on what turned out to be a night which reflected the miserable weather. Apart from a 20-minute spell in the second half, Athletic’s defence was as creaky as a John Sheridan knee joint. And talking of Sheridan, how desperately Athletic need their midfield inspiration to return to full fitness. He may not have a direct influence in either penalty area, but his very presence would bring some semblance of order to a side which paid for the familiar failing of a lack of composure in front of goal — and then capitulated horribly towards the end. In terms of goalmouth incident, the game was far too good for the atmosphere in which it was played. Hillsborough’s cavernous stands were virtually deserted and, in a stadium which holds 40,000, even Wednesday’s famous band couldn’t compensate for over 35,000 empty seats. This was their lowest-ever crowd for a League Cup tie.

The first-division side’s injury crisis saw manager Paul Jewell describe them as his Grange Hill XI. But they almost increased their 3-1 first-leg lead in the second minute as Matt Hamshaw brought a save from Gary Kelly. There was also early action at the other end as Prenderville’s low cross found Mark Innes, whose shot was scrambled clear. Having been denied the first step of a fightback, Athletic were left facing almost certain elimination when Wednesday grabbed the lead in the sixth minute. They were granted acres of space down the left and, after a cross from Richie Humphreys floated tantalisingly over Kelly, England under-18 star Hamshaw arrived at the far post to nod in the opener. Athletic almost replied immediately through Mark Allott, but Wednesday should have doubled their lead after 16 minutes when Alan Quinn fluffed an absolute sitter. They were punished for the miss when, continuing the eventful start, the visitors gave themselves a glimmer of hope with their 25th-minute equaliser.

It was provided by the left boot of Paul Smith, whose right-wing corner swerved dangerously across the face of goal. Lee Duxbury killed the ball instantly before firing home emphatically from eight yards. Athletic had a penalty shout when Danny Boshell’s bustling run was ended in unceremonious fashion by Quinn. And Andrew Holt came agonisingly close to the second, only for his header from another Smith corner to be acrobatically cleared by Derek Geary. It was time for the pendulum to swing back to Wednesday, and Gerald Sibon — so tall and languid he looks like a Harlem Globetrotter — rattled the post with a raking drive. As defences continued to buckle under the pressure, Gilles De Bilde then wasted another good opening in first-half injury time. Requiring at least two goals after the break, Athletic brought on Matthew Tipton at wing-back and began the second half with bold attacking intentions. Many of those were provided by the young Welshman, whose initial burst led to Craig Dudley seeing two efforts cleared off the line when it looked easier to score.

Athletic were threatening to take it to the wire and, at the midway point of the half, it was Allott’s turn to be thwarted as his header was hacked to safety after looping over ‘keeper Kevin Pressman. But, totally against the run of play, Wednesday regained the lead — and opened the floodgates — in the 68th minute when Kelly missed his punch at a corner and defender Ashley Westwood followed up his first-leg goal by slotting into an unguarded net. If that was harsh on Athletic, there was worse to come when the hosts, who were jeered by their fans until the second goal, notched a third. Owen Morrison’s pass found impressive sub Michele Di Piede and the Italian teenager finished clinically from 12 yards as Kelly dived at his feet. It was 4-1 with 10 minutes left as Di Piedi picked out Sibon in the centre to prod past Kelly from close range. And Quinn completed the rout with a simple tap-in after Kelly’s save from Morrison rolled invitingly into his path. A travesty of justice it may have been but, when your league position is as disturbing as Athletic’s, you need a result like this like you need a hole in the head. Athletic must find some way — any way — to end their alarming slide. And they must find it soon. 

Manchester Evening News

 ANDY Ritchie is ready to resign . . . and replace himself with a tape recorder! The Latics boss was only joking, of course, but it was easy to feel sympathy for his plight after he was on the wrong end of a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday which sent them crashing out of the Worthington Cup 7-2 on aggregate.

‘‘We have created chances in every game this season - we have got to start putting more of them away,’’ said Ritchie.

‘‘We keep saying the same things. I could use a tape recorder after the games and say the same things to the lads. I have no need to go in, I could just leave it there and say ‘Right turn that on when I go in’.‘‘

Bizarre as it may sound looking at the scoreline, finishing was the only thing which separated the two sides.

Latics were the better side for at least half of the game.

But whereas they contrived to have FOUR goal attempts blocked on the line - a combination of bad luck and bad finishing, said Ritchie - Wednesday managed to score with five of their seven shots on target.

Beleaguered Wednesday boss Paul Jewell, far from being relieved at the respite which the result gives him, had reason to worry.

He said: ‘‘We were fortunate to win 5-1. After an hour I would have taken 1-1 because we were struggling.

‘‘People will look at the result and think great, but we were here and we know it wasn’t that. Andy Ritchie will be a bit disappointed at the result.’’

The game appeared to have been killed stone dead after just six minutes when Matt Hamshaw’s simple far-post header made it 4-2 on aggregate.

With Hillsborough only partially full on a diabolical night, and the game seemingly over as a contest, people inside the ground were experiencing one of those moments when existence seems pointless.

Wednesday’s idea of providing their suffering fans with some continental flair was to field two Belgians. A bit like putting salad cream on greasy chips.

It was left to Oldham to perk us up. On 25 minutes, Paul Smith’s corner was courteously allowed through by the home side’s shoddy defence and Lee Duxbury was allowed time and space to pick his spot to make it 1-1.

Latics sensed a famous victory and Andrew Holt’s header was blocked on the line by Derek Geary, although Gerard Sibon struck a post at the other end as honours ended even in the first half.

Oldham took full control for 24 minutes after the break and Craig Dudley twice feebly shot against defenders on the line after more appalling Wednesday defending.

Mark Allott also had one stopped on the line, but the home side’s defensive disease was catching - and Latics caught a serious dose.

Four times in the last 21 minutes they allowed Wednesday through, and four times they scored.

Right up until Ashley Westwood made it 2-1, Ritchie and the small band of hardy Latics fans believed they could win it.

‘‘But that result really doesn’t matter to a certain extent - it’s Saturday that matters to us,’’ said Ritchie, before hitting the rewind button.

Wednesday's comfort at this stage - 4-1 overall - was disturbed on 25 minutes. The defending at corners was unconvincing all night and from Oldham's first, the marking was non-existent as Duxbury scored. From another one Holt's header was cleared off the line by Geary. In the next minute, Sibon struck the far post with a superb 22 yarder.

Di Piedi's introduction pepped up the front line operation but Oldham were doing the pressing and goalline clearances from Morrison and Humphreys prevented embarrassment - and anxiety.

Just when Wednesdayites were wondering what a second Oldham goal might do, Wednesday plucked out a second of their own. A minute later they added a third and it was all over.

Westwood got the second from a corner routine and then a sharp little run from Morrison and an angled pass saw Di Piedi finish deftly.

In a trice all thoughts of a possible spell of extra-time - taking most of this side past their bedtime in the process - was ended and Sibon popped in No 4 from Di Piedi's centre.

Quinn knocked in the fifth after Muller's shot had been parried by Kelly.

Danny Boshell has a good chance (already in our First Team) and Ryan Sugden. Will Haining is a young centre half that has a good future in front of him if he continues to progress.Don't you think that the Oldham Squad is very young? I know that you want to push the youngster through, but they should have older team-mates to learn a bit further. Do you agree?Yes! We have a relatively young First Team, but we believe youth is the way ahead if we are to survive financially, the experienced players help them along i.e. John Sheridan, Shaun Garnett, Lee Duxbury and Gary Kelly.