Call for Cassidy

Jake Cassidy

DON’T be surprised to see Athletic boss David Dunn pitch striker Jake Cassidy into a basement battle, after an absence of more than three months, on Saturday.

Although the Sky Bet League One season is yet to reach its halfway stage, this weekend’s showdown between Athletic and Crewe at Gresty Road is already being viewed as pivotal to the survival bids of both clubs.

Crewe are at the foot of the table on goal difference, three points behind fourth-bottom Athletic, so the magnitude of this match is clear for all to see.

And although Athletic did manage to find the target twice through Michael Higdon against Southend in a 5-2 midweek defeat at SportsDirect.com Park, their total of 22 goals from 19 matches this season is one they will be desperate to improve on.

Higdon and Dominic Poleon formed a two-man attack against the Shrimpers, and Dunn resisted the temptation to have summer signing Cassidy on the bench.

He said in the build-up to the fixture: “It is a bit too soon for Jake — but hopefully he will be ready for Saturday.”

Whether that is in a starting role or on the substitutes’ bench is the conundrum facing the manager.

Given Cassidy’s promising start to the campaign before he chipped a bone and suffered ligament damage in the 1-0 home victory over Fleetwood — Athletic’s last league win at SportsDirect.com Park — it will be tempting for Dunn to bring back the target man.

The ex-Wolves forward displayed both energy and physicality in the opening two matches, two aspects of football which have been partly lacking in recent Athletic performances.

Dunn must also make a decision on the goalkeeping situation which, until recently, had looked settled.

Young ’keeper Joel Coleman was taken out of the firing line early in the season as David Cornell was given the nod.

But when Cornell picked up an injury, Coleman took the No. 1 jersey, only to be partly responsible for Barnsley’s winning goal on Saturday.

Back between the sticks on Tuesday, Cornell was hardly blameless for two of Southend’s goals — the latter and final Shrimpers strike coming when Cornell was outjumped to a 50-50 ball by Luke Prosser.