Gillingham reaction
Ritchie under pressure

Mr Brierley added there is no prospect of Ritchie buying his way out of trouble. Indeed, on the contrary, Athletic are looking to reduce their wage bill as they have 36 professionals, far too many for the second division. Mr Brierley remains confident Athletic have the players at Boundary Park capable of hauling themselves off the bottom of the table. The Athletic chairman added that the uncertainty about the club's future is not helping matters. He was also critical of various business consortiums making their interest public, explaining this has also been unhelpful. 

Mr Brierley said: "Neither the manager, nor management, knows who their bosses will be and it wants clearing up quickly. "We were told that the group led by Dominic Grudzien would conclude a takeover within seven to 10 days before the start of the season. "We waited five or six weeks before learning they were pulling out and, so far as I am concerned, it was a cheap publicity stunt. 

"Anybody interest in buying the club should keep quiet and deal with the brewery and their solicitors and not go public until the deal is done and dusted." 

There is an outside chance Stuart Thom may return for Saturday's home derby against Bury. The central defender is back in light training after breaking his toe against Stockport in the Worthington Cup. Athletic were today waiting for a fitness check on striker Paul Beavers who received a kick to his Achilles in the first half of Saturday's game. Oldham Athletic Supporters Association is tonight holding a quiz night in the sponsors lounge at Boundary Park. The cost is 5 for a team of up to five and the action starts at eight o'clock. 

ATHLETIC'S SUICIDE SQUAD

NATIONWIDE DIVISION 2

GILLINGHAM 2, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1

by Tony Bugby at Priestfield

A SUITABLE medical bulletin of Athletic’s clinical condition would read: “Patient critically ill in intensive care.” Whether Athletic’s ailments prove terminal — culminating in relegation — remains to be seen after they suffered a fifth successive league defeat at Gillingham. But, even at this early stage of the campaign, they are in serious danger of being cut adrift at the foot of the second division. The wounds were again self-inflicted and Athletic remain the only one of the 92 league clubs still without a point — a deeply worrying and embarrassing statistic.

Any hope Athletic had of arresting the depressing start to the campaign vanished in little over six minutes. With the opening exchanges barely completed, Athletic found themselves two goals down after suicidal defending. Athletic, in fairness, produced a spirited finish in which Scott McNiven’s 88th-minute goal gave the travelling army something to cheer. It was a highly-significant strike — Athletic’s first goal in the league after 448 barren minutes. Sadly it proved too little, too late as the damage had been already been done during a disastrous opening. If Athletic had started the match as they finished it, they would not have come away from Priestfield empty-handed. Athletic’s main problem, as usual, was a lack of finishing power.

Manager Andy Ritchie began with Mark Allott and Paul Beavers up front and brought on three strikers — Steve Whitehall, Matthew Tipton and Ryan Sugden. But none of them could not muster a decent chance between them. Athletic’s three best chances fell to defenders. Andrew Holt twice went close while Scott McNiven scored. Phil Salt and David McNiven lost their places as Mark Innes and Beavers won recalls. Ritchie also reverted to a flat back four, having operated with three central defenders in recent matches. It was a surprise decision, bearing in mind Gillingham gave a debut to West Ham striker Emmanuel Omoyimni, a 21-year-old with an electrifying turn of pace. If Athletic ever needed three central defenders it was against the lightning-fast Nigerian. Omoyimni wreaked havoc alongside Robert Taylor. How Athletic could do with such a front two. Taylor, providing the muscle and aerial presence, found the net for the fourth successive match and was the perfect foil for the 5ft 6in Omoyimni.

Gillingham’s new strike force combined for the opening goal after three minutes. Taylor, looking suspiciously offside, raced on to Omoyimni’s through ball to shoot low to the right of Gary Kelly. Athletic’s back four was caught square again two minutes later. Pocket-sized midfield player Andy Hessenthaler released Taylor. Kelly denied Taylor a second goal with a splendid block but Omoyimni, following up, slid in the loose ball from a couple of yards. It could have been game, set and match shortly before half time had Paul Smith, who was put through by the influential Omoyimni, not seen Kelly pull off a superb save. Whitehall, returning after a lengthy lay-off, replaced the injured Beavers after only 33 minutes. Athletic performed infinitely better in the second half. They were far more switched on defensively and were more lively going forward. It was difficult to gauge whether they had upped the tempo or Gillingham had taken their foot off the gas.

But Athletic still lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch and even the introduction of front men Tipton and Sugden failed to improve matters. Athletic had to wait 76 minutes before forcing ’keeper Vince Bartram to make his first save of the match, a flying leap to his left to turn Holt’s 30-yard drive round the post for a corner. That seemed to instill a belief that Athletic might find a way past Bartram, and Holt was unlucky to see a powerful header from Whitehall’s free-kick fly straight at the ’keeper. The breakthrough finally came with two minutes remaining when McNiven popped up 12 yards out to head home Paul Rickers’ right-wing cross into the top corner. It was a goal any striker would have been proud of — perhaps he and Holt should lead the front line against Bury on Saturday. Why McNiven was so far forward is something which mystified Ritchie, although he was not complaining. The goal set up a grandstand finish as Gillingham, without a league win before Saturday, began to look vulnerable. Athletic laid siege to the Gills’ goal, forcing three successive corners in the two minutes of added time. The home side were relieved to hear the final whistle as Athletic finished the match in the kind of dominant fashion which they ought to have begun.

MATCH FACTS

THE TEAMS

GILLINGHAM: Bartram, Patterson (Miller 72), Ashby, Hessenthaler, Southall, Taylor (Noseworthy 90), Pennock, Saunders, Lewis, Omoyimni (Hodge 79), Smith. Subs (not used): Butters, Thomson.

ATHLETIC: Kelly, S McNiven, Holt, Garnett, Rickers, Duxbury, Sheridan, Innes (Tipton 56), Adams, Allott (Sugden 71), Beavers (Whitehall 33). Subs (not used): Mohan, Tait.THE GOALS Robert Taylor (3) and Emmanuel Omoyimni (6) for Gilingham. Scott McNiven (88) for Athletic. 

SHOTS/HEADERS ON TARGET

GILLINGHAM 6 ATHLETIC 3

SHOTS/HEADERS OFF TARGET

GILLINGHAM 3 ATHLETIC 4

CORNERS GILLINGHAM 4 ATHLETIC 8

THE CARDS

Lee Duxbury (43) and Mark Allott (50) for Athletic.

REFEREE Mr P Rejer (Wolverhampton)

ATTENDANCE: 5,884

Peter Taylor, a former Athletic player, was delighted to get his first win as Gillingham manager. “The players have worked hard and not had a lot of luck so far,” he explained. “Two-nil is a dangerous scoreline and we needed a third goal. “A little bit of slack defending on our part let Oldham back into the game, but we managed to hold out. “There were a few heart-stopping moments towards the end. That is why we all go grey and bald.” Taylor was delighted with the debut display of striker Emmanuel Omoyimni, who is on loan from West Ham. “He gives us pace up front, something we haven’t had before. “I am sure he will cause problems for defences.”

Derby game to end points mission

Ritchie not feeling pressure