Aaron Dawson is ready to rise to the challenge of maintaining Exeter City's quest for an npower League Two play-offs place if he is asked to fill in at Rotherham United tonight.
The 21-year-old midfielder is on standby to start at right-back if Steve Tully and Kevin Amankwaah both miss tonight's clash through injury.
Tully has a broken toe and played through the pain barrier against Rochdale last Monday, while Amankwaah hobbled off after landing awkwardly in the first 30 seconds of Saturday's defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge.
It led to Amankwaah going to hospital for an X-ray on his ankle and ,with no other options available, manager Paul Tisdale summoned Dawson from the bench – and the youngster performed admirably in an unfamiliar role.
If both Tully and Amankwaah are out tonight, then Exmouth-born Dawson is likely to make only his third start for the injury-ravaged Grecians.
"If I get the call, I will make sure that I am ready," Dawson said. "I played up at Huddersfield as a right-back last season and that was a good day. I am just looking to kick on now, really."
However, while Dawson played well against the Daggers, it was another disappointing day for the Grecians as their third straight loss left them clinging on to their play-offs place.
Dawson said that he and his team-mates will not relinquish their position without a fight – and is hoping to end the Grecians' losing run at Rotherham tonight.
"We will be giving it everything for the rest of the season," he said. "It is a massive game, but the lads are all together and hopefully we can go there and get a result. We will go there and be confident and look to bounce back. We will dust ourselves down and go again.
"We were all gutted in the changing room after the [Dagenham] game and we have to pick ourselves up now. It's good that we have the game on Tuesday as it means we don't have to wait until next Saturday, so we have a good chance to bounce back.
"We are still in the play-offs and a lot of results went our way on Saturday. As long as we look after ourselves between now and the end of the season, we will be all right.
"All the lads are giving everything that they can and we will do that for the rest of the season. We have worked hard to get into the position we are in and we are not just going to let it go."
The Grecians' cause is not being helped by so many injuries right now, but Dawson is one of those benefiting from such a situation. However, he refuses to accept that he is coming into the side under testing circumstances and is determined to show Tisdale that he is capable of doing a job for the team.
"That is what we train for and this is what I have wanted ever since I turned pro and what I dreamt about as a young boy," Dawson said. "When I get the chance, I will make sure that I am ready.
"It's better than being down at the bottom fighting against relegation. We are at the right end of the table and it is a good headache to have.
"There are some big players out, but it gives the younger lads and the squad players a chance to show what they can do, and it is up to us to take that chance."
