Fans voice their anger

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HOWARTH

LEADING THE CHARGE . . . Ricardo Fuller gets his head down and runs at the Crewe defence – but this attempt, like others, came to nothing.

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Crewe 1, Oldham 0

DAVID Dunn spoke in Friday’s Chronicle about needing a thick skin.

He certainly needed one as the abuse rained down on him and his shot-shy Athletic players after this woeful defeat by a Crewe side that was rock bottom of the league.

“You're not fit to wear the shirt” was probably the loudest cry from the travelling hordes of supporters at the final whistle after the Alex had hauled themselves off the bottom of the table thanks to Adam King's gift-wrapped winner in the first half.

Harsh, probably, as the players do appear to be giving it everything on the field and off it, but clearly something is badly wrong and boss Dunn is the one who will be in the firing line.

Athletic, who remain in the drop zone and face a hard winter battle for survival, scarcely got going in this third defeat in a week.

Alex 'keeper Ben Garratt enjoyed what must have been the easiest afternoon of his season, so Dunn must now mull over how he is to try to rectify what is becoming an increasingly alarming situation.

If he doesn't, the former Premier League star knows more than most what will follow before too long.

It was never going to be a day for the faint-hearted at a grey, damp and miserable Gresty Road.

Diehard Athletic fans travelled in their numbers once again, and needed to see more invention, guile and dogged resilience from their beloved team in all areas.

Those three much-needed qualities appear to be have been sadly lacking during the desperate 5-2 home hammering by Southend – a defeat which had plunged Athletic into the League One drop zone.

In the wake of the Shrimpers drubbing, under-pressure manager Dunn did take some almost immediate action by drafting 35-year-old Richie Wellens on loan from Doncaster after eight years away, and the midfielder was named among a strong-looking set of substitutes.

As for the starting XI, Dunn resisted wholesale changes, making just a couple of alterations.

They were attack-minded changes, however, with pacy right-back Connor Brown replacing Richard Eckersley and Ricardo Fuller being given the nod to partner Michael Higdon up top. It was the ex-Premier League star's first league start for Athletic.

Power over grace was presumably the mindset, but by the end of this latest fixture that plan had failed miserably.

Dominic Poleon was relegated to the bench, while Eckersley was out altogether.

If Dunn was after a positive reaction to the Southend thrashing, he only really got one in the opening 10 minutes or so. Brian Wilson somehow headed Mark Yeates' peach of a free-kick wide from barely six yards in the 10th minute, but after that the visitors toiled without making further inroads.

Crewe were marginally better, and it was they who struck the only goal of a dismal opening 45 minutes.

It could have been two when wily Lowe curled a shot inches wide, but despite that miss the visitors were booed off by their own fans at the break.

The second half was worse. Kelly fired a shot meekly wide while Danny Philliskirk's near-post effort as he met Yeates' cross didn't require any preventative action from Garratt.

In between these sporadic efforts from Athletic, Crewe went close twice through James Jones, while sub Ryan Wintle fluffed a great chance when he somehow managed to scoop a shot over the top from just outside the six-yard box.

So that was it. Another awful defeat for Athletic and a clear week now beckons in which to prepare for the FA Cup tie at Sheffield United.