4th September 2000
4th September 2000 ATHLETIC defender Shaun Garnett is close to an early-season suspension after being booked in four consecutive matches. The rugged centre-back is one yellow card from a one-match ban, providing his club with another headache to go with their on-field problems. Athletic have taken just one point from four games and many fans booed them off the pitch after Saturday’s home defeat by Notts County. They were then hauled over the coals by manager Andy Ritchie, who accused them of lacking passion but insisted: “We’ll get it right.” There is a chance to make amends at Huddersfield Town tomorrow night in the Worthington Cup first round, second leg. Athletic go to the McAlpine Stadium with a 1-0 lead and should be boosted by Carlo Corazzin’s return from international duty. Corazzin won his 49th cap over the weekend, but it was a black day for Canadian football as they were hammered 4-0 by Trinidad and Tobago. They can no longer reach the 2002 World Cup — good news for Athletic as their star striker may now stay in England instead of leaving to play for his country.
It
was a double international weekend as goalkeeper David Miskelly played
for Northern Ireland under-21s in their World Cup qualifier against Malta.
Friday night’s match ended 1-1 and Miskelly, who flew back from Belfast
in time to be on the bench for Athletic, was handed his fifth cap. Stuart
Thom’s move to Scunthorpe could go through in the next 24 hours as the
defender’s new club want him eligible for their own tie in the Worthington
Cup. Thom is currently on loan with the third division side and, though
figures are not being disclosed, he is likely to command a fee of around
£20,000. Paul Beavers is also
close to leaving Boundary Park following a successful trial with Darlington.
The striker, whose Athletic contract runs out next summer, will be allowed
to leave on a free transfer.
Early
optimism fading fast OPTIMISM
is turning to gloom for Athletic after another lame and lifeless performance
at Boundary Park. The players who began
the season in a blaze of glory are now on the crest of a mini-slump and,
though the season is still in its infancy, they look in need of a victory
to restore some flagging spirits. Senses
have been dulled by a run of four games without a win — a sequence no-one
would have predicted after the opening-day blitz of Port Vale. That
game set a standard Athletic would always struggle to maintain. It was
unrealistic to expect many repeats but, in terms of invention, skill and
ideas, they looked a different team altogether during this second successive
home defeat. In a sense, they were.
No John Sheridan plus no Carlo Corazzin equalled virtually no attacking
menace. And that was the biggest problem in a dour match dominated by defence. Other
mitigating factors were Uriah Rennie’s petty refereeing — how can a game
flow when there are an amazing 45 free-kicks? — and County’s unwavering
defence.
The
visitors did an excellent job preserving their clean sheet and have now
won all three away games 1-0. Yet they
were hardly threatened for the entire 90 minutes and Athletic, who gave
goalkeeper Darren Ward only one real scare, were subjected to an hour-long
inquest from manager Andy Ritchie. They
are 19th in the table and need to make some major improvements if they
are to live up to Ritchie’s billing as serious challengers for promotion. There
were three changes to the team as Neil Adams returned from injury, Mark
Innes was preferred to Danny Boshell and, with Corazzin on Canada duty,
Matthew Tipton was recalled up front. More
tinkering followed, both to personnel and formation, but it did Athletic
precious little good. Their game was
mediocre at best, aimless at worst and totally lacking a spark of inspiration
to ignite the performance. Until a second-half
switch, Innes — who made his name as an attacking midfielder with a knack
for incisive running — was asked to sit too deep to play his natural game. His
exuberance was quelled and Athletic discovered, once again, that it’s nigh
on impossible to replace John Sheridan with a like-for-like playmaker.
With
Corazzin absent, they also struggled to hold the ball effectively up front. There
was an over-reliance on 50-yard passes when the tactic is usually to play
through midfield and stretch opponents with width. As
County always got plenty of men behind the ball, Athletic’s uncharacteristic
directness never looked like paying off. The
test was to pick the lock against a packed and well-marshalled defence. Instead,
they resorted to the battering ram. And, predictably, the points stayed
tucked away behind a firmly-closed door. A
scrappy opening, in which County just about had the edge, set the tone
for a forgettable afternoon. The only
action of the first 20 minutes was a clash between Tipton and Andy McDermott,
who wrestled in County’s area before the visitors claimed Tipton aimed
a kick at his marker. The first shot
in anger came when Ian Hamilton slammed a free-kick just wide of Athletic’s
left-hand post from the edge of the box. The
hosts’ riposte was a wicked curling cross from Paul Jones, but Tipton and
Mark Allott couldn’t exploit the scramble when Mark Warren made a hash
of his clearance. Craig Ramage was at
full stretch for a far-post volley as County continued to play what little
decent football was on offer.
But,
after 31 minutes, Ward was the first ‘keeper to be tested when Allott robbed
McDermott and tried his luck with a long-range snapshot. There
were fleeting signs that the congested midfield would open up, but tenacious
County soon put paid to those ideas. They
were bent on suffocating the space Athletic needed to breathe and only
a Tipton shot, which he failed to meet properly after another centre from
Jones, escaped their attentions. The
match was in desperate need of a goal, preferably for Athletic as it would
force County on the offensive. But it
was the visitors who broke through after 42 minutes, courtesy of the most
fluent move of the day. Ramage and David
Joseph were involved just outside the area, holding up play as Gary Owers
ran into space from deep. A reverse pass
found Owers darting through the inside-right channel and he cracked an
unstoppable drive high into Gary Kelly’s net from eight yards. Athletic
made a double change in a bid to rouse themselves, Mark Hotte coming into
defence and Craig Dudley’s pace being introduced first at wing-back, then
up front. But County should have doubled
the lead after 57 minutes when Joseph headed across goal and Mark Stallard
failed to get the final touch.
Although
Ritchie tried another reshuffle, abandoning the three centre-backs to switch
to 4-4-2, his side still couldn’t muster anything resembling a chance. The
visitors always had a spare man at the back. And, on a quick breakaway,
they should have had a penalty when Richard Liburd was tripped as he bore
down on Kelly. The unappetising midfield
battle dragged on to the bitter end. County blocked off the avenues of
attack, only cul-de-sacs remained and Athletic had nowhere to turn. Their
only hope came in the last minute when Boshell’s free-kick was headed down
by Lee Duxbury and Ward took two attempts to gather the ball. Otherwise,
it was a tale of frustration — or, for any neutral in the ground, tedium. County
had carried out their instructions to the letter. And it was no surprise
that Ritchie had some harsh words for his despairing and defeated troops.
Managers’
Views
They
need some fire in their bellies, blasts angry Ritchie AFTER
giving his side a post-match grilling, Andy Ritchie emerged grim-faced
from Athletic’s dressing room. The manager
was furious with his side’s defeat and suggested they hadn’t shown the
stomach for a fight. “They need to pick
themselves up again,” he said. “It’s no use doing that on the training
ground and then leaving it behind when it counts. “They
need to have some fire in their bellies because you can’t afford to be
without that for a full 90 minutes. “We
had it in fits and starts, but not enough. We were bad — it’s as simple
as that — so we’ll keep working and we’ll get it right. “The
players know how I feel, but I will keep what was said in the confines
of the dressing room. “We just didn’t
play. And their goal was all our own doing because we didn’t go with their
runners and you pay the price if you don’t stay with the man. “I’ve
heard people say the system is wrong, but no-one suggested that after we
beat Port Vale and Huddersfield. “The
system has got nothing to do with it. It’s a lack of people wanting to
do the right things. “If the players
don’t take on board what we have told them, they will find themselves stuck
at the wrong end of the table.”
Notts
County have a 100-per-cent record on their travels and have still to concede
a goal away from home. Manager Jocky
Scott said: “That was a hard game, but I’m delighted with another three
points. “Although we didn’t play well,
we did everything as a team and it was as comfortable a 1-0 victory as
you could have. “The goal was the only
time we played a bit of good football, but I was pleased with the attitude
because we battled very well. “We handled
Oldham comfortably and the only things our ’keeper had to do were stop
a couple of half-hit shots and field a few crosses.”
Jocky Scott today
praised his Notts County side for picking up their third successive victory
on their travels — but warned ‘We have to do more'. The Magpies boss was
delighted with his side's battling 1-0 win at Oldham on Saturday, a victory
which took them to fourth place in Division Two. But today he challenged
them to match that feat as they prepare for three consecutive matches at
Meadow Lane, starting with Hull City in the first round, second leg of
the Worthington Cup tomorrow night. And after failing to pick up a point
in their opening two matches on home territory, Scott wants Notts to cement
their promotion credentials when they take on Bristol Rovers on Saturday
and Swansea on Tuesday next week. "Obviously you are not going to complain
about any victory, no matter how it is achieved. But 1-0 is not always
enough," said Scott.
"Saturday was
a comfortable win for us, it never looked as though Oldham would get back
into it. "But I still feel that we should have made more of our domination.
If we had got a second, I feel we would have gone on to get more, to win
by a bigger margin. "But we didn't and when you fail to take advantage
of a situation like that, there is always a chance that you can slip up.
"Oldham never looked like scoring, but it only takes one mistake at the
back or one isolated moment of magic from them and they are back in it.
You have lost two points. "Three 1-0 wins away from home is great, but
we have got to start killing teams off." Scott is well aware that Notts,
as they trail 1-0 from the first leg at Boothferry Park, will have to win
their first match of the season at Meadow Lane of they are to reach the
second round of the Worthington Cup.
But he also wants
his side to continue their impressive start to their Division Two campaign
over the next two league matches. "If anyone had said to me that we would
kick start the season with nine points from five games I would probably
have accepted that," said Scott. "And, whatever has happened, we are still
up there at the top, where we want to be. "But we haven't won a match at
home yet. It has not got to the stage where the lads are under any extra
pressure to perform at Meadow Lane. "We have only played two games there
this season after all. "But we do have three games in a row at Meadow Lane
over the next week or so and I want to see us get something from that.
"I want us to go out and win all three matches. We have picked up full
points away from home, now we have to do it at Meadow Lane."
Huddersfield
Daily Examiner
"Whenever something like this happens you are just relieved the person has come out alive, and it sounds like Clyde has been very, very fortunate," said Bruce. "It sounds like it was a really bad accident because the car burst into flames, but the important thing is that Clyde and his mate got out alive because the car was a complete write-off. "We are still waiting for details from the surgeon, but we are told he's had a four-hour operation on his arm which tells you how serious it is. "Obviously we will know more when we've had chance to visit him and get the full story, but the reality is that Clyde has been very badly hurt and I would expect him to be out long-term." Wijnhard is understood to have been at a function in Middlesbrough and was returning to his home in Leeds. After the accident, he and the friend crawled from the wreckage and were said to be in shock.
The former Willem II striker - who scored 16 goals in 52 appearances last season - has played in all five League and Cup matches so far this season and his absence is a cruel blow to Bruce's squad, who are facing a home League double-header against Bolton and Wimbledon after tomorrow's first round second leg clash, in which Town must overturn a 1-0 deficit. "I know Clyde hasn't been having the best of times, but he's just as likely to score 10 or 11 in a glut once he's got his name on the scoresheet," explained Bruce. "To lose someone who led the line in 50-odd matches last season when we've got other strikers out injured is a massive, massive blow and I just feel like someone is kicking me where it hurts with our injuries at the moment. "I'm hoping Dean Gorré will come through a practice match against Manchester City today and possibly come into the equation for tomorrow night, but Kevin Gallen, Steve Jenkins and Chris Holland have no chance and when you add Clyde, it's a pretty serious injury situation we are in."
Bruce is planning
a personal visit to see Wijnhard in hospital - the location has not been
released - and club doctor Michael Taylor has also been notified. "It's
pretty serious stuff and, while it might be some time before we know the
real damage, I just get the feeling it will be bad news for Clyde and he
might miss the season," added Bruce. "If that's the case then it's a huge
blow to us and, even if it's not that bad, he's still going to be out a
long while. "With bad breaks of any kind you have to let them heal properly
but, when someone has run off the road at speed and somehow managed to
get out of a burning car, you're just glad they can recover at all."
Scunthorpe United are hoping to have central defender Stuart Thom available for tomorrow night's Worthington Cup first round, second leg tie against Wigan Athletic at Glanford Park. The 23-year-old defender, who has been on a month's loan from Oldham Athletic, is set to join the Iron on a permanent basis. "We have all but agreed terms now and I am hoping he will sign today," said manager Brian Laws. "That will make him available for tomorrow night — providing he has recovered from a knock on the knee he suffered against Blackpool on Saturday. "He was in a bit of discomfort after the game so we will have to see how it settles down when physiotherapist Nigel Adkins has got to work on him."One new player United have already signed is goalkeeper Simon Miotto who was on the substitutes' bench against Blackpool. The 29-year-old Tasmanian has now got international clearance to play from the Australian FA. "We have signed him initially for a month, just to get things sorted out, but I am hoping to keep him for the full season," said Laws. Meanwhile the Scunthorpe boss continues his search for an experienced midfield man. "I am getting closer and closer and I am hoping to do something in time for next Saturday's game at York. "I have two options at the moment. One a loan player, one a permanent signing and I am just waiting for some answers."