EXPERIENCED defender Chris Lightfoot has answered Athletic's crisis call and will make his debut at Boundary Park tomorrow. Lightfoot (30), who has agreed a one-month loan deal from Crewe, goes straight into the team to face Bristol City. Manager Andy Ritchie hopes the 6ft 1in centre-back will halt Athletic's slump, which hit a new low in the 5-0 defeat at Reading this week. Lightfoot has played almost 400 league games for Chester, Wigan and Crewe, but he is currently out of favour with the first-division strugglers. Ritchie said: "Chris is a big, strong lad and a good footballer. I'm hoping he will organise things at the back because that's we need. "We got our thinking caps on to see who was available and I knew Chris would be able to sign for us this week. "If he does well, there's a possibility we will make it permanent."

Manchester City's Richard Jobson was also offered a one-month deal, but the 36-year-old rejected a return to Boundary Park. Ritchie explained: "He is unsure about his future at the moment and has already turned down loan moves to Stockport and Notts Forest. "He wants something permanent and, at this stage of his career, I can understand his reasons." Lightfoot's arrival may not be the last as Athletic are pursuing another defender with a first-division club. Ritchie is desperate to stem the flow of goals and will sign as many reinforcements as his budget allows. "We are looking to bring in more experience,"

Ritchie confirmed. "With Shaun Garnett out injured, we are very, very young at the back. "Paul Jones and Mark Hotte were excellent last season, but I just feel they are struggling a bit too much at the moment. "They both need a rest so they can collect themselves and come back stronger." Tomorrow's match definitely goes ahead as Athletic are confident that enough fire and safety stewards will beat the fuel shortage. Ritchie names the same 16 players who lost at Reading, plus Lightfoot and fellow defender Ben Futcher. Goalkeeper Gary Kelly is doubtful with a shin injury.

ATHLETIC (from): Kelly, McNiven, Lightfoot, Hotte, Jones, Adams, Holt, Rickers, Duxbury, Boshell, Allott, Corazzin, Prenderville, Innes, Dudley, Tipton, Futcher, Miskelly.

Danny Wilson's Bristol City are second from bottom after losing their last four league games. Wilson said: "Individual errors are costing us dear and I'm sick and tired of saying the same thing week in and week out." Transfer-listed Latics striker Steve Whitehall has joined Chester City on a month's loan with a view to a permanent move.

Bristol Evening Post

Danny Wilson today called on his Bristol City players to cut out the "silly mistakes" which have left the club trailing near the foot of the Second Division. City attempt to end a depressing sequence of five successive defeats at Oldham tomorrow - the game is definitely ON - and Wilson warned: "We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. "Individual errors are costing us dear and I'm sick and tired of saying the same thing week in and week out. "These mistakes are the difference between us being top of the league and near the bottom. There is very little between the teams in this division, but we have to make our own luck. "That means players applying themselves in the proper manner and concentrating for the entire 90 minutes."

Oldham have also endured a wretched run of results and a 5-0 midweek mauling at Reading led Latics boss Andy Ritchie to describe his players as "spineless." "That result has done us no favours," said Wilson. "They will be desperate to put things right in front of their home fans and it is going to be an extremely tough game." Wilson was encouraged by last weekend's performance against Swindon and will probably name an unchanged team if Gerard Lavin is passed fit to play. The transfer-listed full-back had stitches inserted in a shin wound sustained during the 1-0 defeat against Swindon and Wilson said: "I will leave it until the eleventh hour before making a decision on Gerard to give him every chance of playing. "The wound can be covered up but his leg is still pretty badly swollen."

In the continued absence of knee injury victim Mark Lever, Louis Carey will again partner captain Keith Millen in the centre of defence. Striker Lee Peacock is expected to be sidelined for up to a fortnight after undergoing surgery to remove a bloodclot from his leg and Peter Beadle will play alongside Tony Thorpe in attack. But goalkeeper Steve Phillips has recovered from a knee injury and will definitely play. "I thought we played well against Swindon and see no reason why those players should not be given another chance," added Wilson. "We should have won, but we conceded a silly goal yet again. I've said that after three of our last four games and it's got to stop or we will keep losing games. "In every game so far we have defended quite well for the majority of the game and then one hiccup has cost us. "Things aren't falling for us in either box and I can't wait for a few things to go our way."

Wilson today confirmed that Alex Meachan will remain at Forest Green Rovers for another month. The young striker is coming to the end of an initial one month loan spell at the Conference club and Wilson said: "We have agreed to let them have him for another four weeks."

BERESFORD WINGING IN AT VALE

Huddersfield winger David Beresford today joined Port Vale on a one-month loan deal. Beresford will go straight into the Vale side for the visit of Stoke City on Sunday after Vale boss Brian Horton moved swiftly to bolster his squad after Tuesday's 4-0 defeat at Cambridge. Beresford, who can play on either flank, was signed by Horton for the Terriers in a £250,000 deal from Oldham three years ago. The Vale boss said the 5ft 5ins winger would give his side much-needed pace. He said: "David is an out and out winger which is something we've not had for a long while. "I saw him play on loan at Preston North End at the end of last season and he was magnificent. "He's an eye-catching player who will create chances and excite the fans.'' Beresford's arrival signals the start of a shake-up as Horton prepares his side for Sunday's big game. The Vale boss seems certain to abandon his wing-back system as Vale chase their first win in five matches. Horton added: "David will give us more options up front, but the old adage is you defend as a team and attack as a team and we haven't been doing that recently.''