Hardly Athletic 2-6 Inter

Last updated : 11 February 2010 By Dan Buxton

A half fit Athletic put up a fight, and came close to shocking Division One side Inter, but a late flurry of goals sealed victory for the higher league opposition.

With goalkeeper Joe Gordon absent due to work commitments, Matthew Peart and Dan Middleton, who was carrying a knee injury, only able to play the first half and Chris Cope(quad) and Matthew Carter(ankle) both carrying injuries, the latter being forced between the sticks due to his injury Athletic were stretched to the max before the game even kicked off and fell a goal down almost immediately.

They immediately came back into the game though and Ash Newman drew the scores level before the hitman netted another, latching onto a Capostagne back heel before rifling into the net, to send Athletic into the lead for the first time ever in a game. The goal tied Newman up at the top of the goalscoring charts, joint top with Chris Cope with three goals.

Atheltic consolidated the lead and almost saw it through to half time but were caught napping twice before the break as firstly, Inter drew level after Dave Capostagne was turned on the edge of the box before an exact replica seconds later saw them go ahead, this time Andy McEvoy the defender turned.

Athletic pressed for an equaliser and Carter, McEvoy and Newman all going close to finding a third but with around ninety seconds left disaster struck after Cope made a fine save in goal. The ball fell to Capostagne on the edge and he tapped it back into the area but the ball squirmed along the floor and into the net for an own goal and a fourth for Inter.

Newman struck the ball straight at the keeper from the kick off, when a yard either way would of seen a certain goal, and a quick break away saw a shot fly past Cope and into the net. The scoring was complete moments later as the final score flattered Inter, with Athletic well in the game right up until the final couple of minutes.