Taggart warns of tough test

Reuben Hazell... Athletic defender faces a late fitness test.

SOMETHING has to give when Athletic take on Exeter City at St James Park tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

An upturn in results has seen manager Paul Dickov guide his side through four npower League One matches without defeat to all but wash away any fears of relegation.

While the goal for Athletic is to preserve that run and finish as high as possible among those clubs sitting in mid-table, it is far from an easy task given the Grecians enter the game on a four-match winning streak — also armed with the knowledge that the last 45 minutes of football played between the sides ended 3-0 in their favour.

That amazing comeback from three goals down at Boundary Park in November must have persuaded manager Paul Tisdale’s men that anything is possible for them this term.

And should Exeter manage to win their final four games, then a place in the end of season play-offs for a side originally tipped to go down is not beyond the realms of possibility.

“Exeter have a half-decent home record this season and we know what we are up against having seen what they are capable of at Boundary Park,” said Athletic assistant manager Gerry Taggart.

“I expect it to be a hard game for us. Exeter are safe from relegation and are instead looking towards the top end of the table.

“I am sure they will want to preserve their recent good run on home soil.”

Looking back at the draw with Yeovil last weekend, Taggart felt Athletic should have benefited from a larger cushion than a solitary Chris Taylor strike at the end of a first half dominated by the visitors to Huish Park.

“I think we probably needed to go in another goal up at half-time and it proved that way in the second half,” he added.

“We knew they would get a toasting from their manager at the break and it wouldn't be that we could just hang on.

“We were a different team in the second half and didn’t produce anything.”

Athletic have named a 22-man squad which travels to Exeter today. It includes Reuben Hazell and Filipe Morais, struggling with knee and hip injuries respectively, as well as Ritchie Jones, who was sent home before the Yeovil game as a disciplinary measure.