Dean: It’s all to play for

NO LET-UP . . . Athletic boss Dean Holden says his team will be primed to give their best in a series of demanding fixtures.

ATHLETIC can’t afford to let up for a minute between now and the end of the season.

Of the six matches that follow today’s home game against Bristol City, every opponent has something to play for — be it getting enough points to avoid relegation, or challenging for a place in the top six.

That sequence starts on Monday at Crawley, and manager Dean Holden reckons Athletic’s new-found fitness after injury lay-offs may have a refreshing effect.

He will attempt to guide the club to a strong finish — and impress enough to reinforce his credentials for the top job in 2015-16 and beyond.

“Sheffield United come here, as do Chesterfield and Peterborough in the last game, and there are tough games away at Walsall and Coventry,” he said.

“We will do as we have been doing - taking each one as it comes, and hopefully the timing of the lads coming back from injury will work in our favour.

“Other clubs may have had their players up to this point then lose one or two and suffer because of it. We take one game at a time and carry on pulling together in the right direction.”

Athletic’s goalkeeping position is of interest, with on-loan Jake Kean kept out by rookie Joel Coleman until today’s game. Holden rates both his custodians.

“We are very lucky to have two good goalkeepers,” he added. “Joel is making his way in the game and had a great start with a couple of clean sheets, before an eventful afternoon at Bradford. He will be all the better for coming through that one.

“Jake is a good goalkeeper too. We can obviously only pick one, so we will see how they go.”

As well as 19-year-old Coleman, another young hopeful, Devante Jacobs, has been handed cameo roles recently, the latest at Bradford.

The powerfully-built forward needs to work on his fitness, Holden says, and will benefit from spending the summer with the first team as he embarks on his debut season as a full professional.

“Having a full pre-season will help him feel part of the group. He’s got a lot of work to do, as have Jack Tuohy and Danny Byrnes, who have signed. But this club has proven over the years that opportunities will come if you are good enough.”