Holden’s Easter mix and match

Date published: 03 April 2015


ROTATION is the name of the game for Athletic boss Dean Holden, who will mix and match in order to get the maximum impact from his squad across the Easter programme.

Today’s home game against Bristol City is followed by a coach trip to Crawley on Sunday, ahead of the meeting at the Broadfield Stadium the following afternoon (3pm kick-off).

With James Wilson, Joseph Mills, Rhys Turner and Rhys Murphy back in the reckoning and Jacob Mellis close, Holden indicated he will use the new-found strength in numbers to give a breather to certain players who have looked tired lately.

In the middle of defence, Wilson is competing with Anthony Gerrard and Adam Lockwood for a place, while it is a tussle between Mat Sadler and Mills for the left-back slot.

Captain Liam Kelly is rated an “outside chance” of making the Crawley game, Mellis could grant Danny Philliskirk a rest while Turner and Murphy, along with Dominic Poleon, Devante Jacobs and Jordan Bove, are up against Jonathan Forte and Conor Wilkinson for striker berths.

“I think we will have to change things,” Holden said. “Ideally we wouldn’t want to, but with having so many injuries some lads have been playing so many games that one or two are looking a bit jaded.

“It is an opportunity for those who have been out for five or six weeks to come back, but playing them twice in three days could put them in danger again. You have to be clever with it.”

Holden is expecting a tough battle at Crawley, against a club fighting for their survival in Sky Bet League One.

“They are going to be giving everything,” he said. “But similar to any other game, we are concentrating on getting our own performance right because if we do that, we are a match for anyone.”