The Latics poor run continued with another defeat, this time at Leyton Orient. The killer punch came close to the end of the game as Athletics unlucky streak witness them seeing a speculative long distance shot find the top corner of the net instead of going wide. It was another cruel blow as their season has gone from elation to deflation. Manager Paul Dickov gave 18-year-old James Tarkowski his debut in defence alongside Reuben Hazell.
Dickov commented, “When you are a young kid people say you aren't experienced. You are only going to get experience by playing games. James has played well for the reserves and youth team. He has been training with the first team for some time and we felt the time was right to put him in. He came in, was dominant and gave a man's performance for an 18-year-old kid and he didn't look out of place in his first game. It is a credit to him because he wants to learn. He is a good, grounded lad and he has a big future in the game. He is an old school defender who kicks and heads the ball and defends properly. I am delighted with him and wouldn't have put him in if I thought he could not have handled it. James will only get better and he will be much better for playing against Orient.”
Dickov was also convinced that his team were denied a penalty for a handball and he said, “I feel gutted for the boys who gave everything they had got. I thought they were magnificent and we didn't deserve to lose. We defended excellently against the form team in the country, Filipe Morais caused them all sorts of problems and we ought to have had a penalty. As long as we keep believing, our form and confidence will come back and I am a great believer that we are doing the right things here and I took a lot of positives from our performance.”
Athletic have now gone nine games without a win but remain, remarkably, in thirteenth position in the league.