Jim Jefferies is not expecting a Matt Clarke-style reaction from axed goalkeeper Gary Walsh.

The City number one was dropped for last night's 2-2 draw at Crewe, paying the price for the recent deluge of goals being conceded.

Walsh has been first choice since Clarke was pulled out at Newcastle 11 months ago, four games after Jefferies took over as manager.

Clarke responded by throwing in a transfer request and did not play a proper game for the club again before securing a £1.35m move to Crystal Palace at the start of this season.

But Jefferies is anticipating the proper response from Walsh as he temporarily finds himself in the shadow of understudy Aidan Davison.

Jefferies said: "Gary's a good professional and he will be disappointed about it just like everybody else in the same situation.

"But there is no problem and I'm sure he will accept it and show a bit of character. Sometimes when you take players out, they knuckle down and work hard and it's great.

"Gary's a good goalkeeper and he's now got a challenge and he's got to fight for his place.

"Since the first three or four games when I came in here, he's been the number one goalie but this sort of thing happens to players. I just felt there was a little bit of hesitancy in his play so it was right to make a change.

"I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago saying I'd like him to come out more. I left it a few more games but I just felt the way we've been letting in goals was starting to affect him.

"A lot of the goals have not been his fault but a lot of times last year when we were letting teams through, Gary was producing save after save. Apart from the penalty at Millwall last week he hasn't done that as much recently and that's how you judge goalkeepers.

"I hinted to him about it and again in training yesterday. He's obviously upset but I would have kicked myself if we had played him last night and we had lost three again."

Davison, whose only previous three games this season were in the Worthington Cup, produced a couple of fine saves from set pieces but his weak punch under pressure led to Crewe's second equaliser four minutes from time.

Jefferies said: "Aidan's been doing well in training and the reserves and I thought it was fair that he deserved his chance.

"He made one or two good stops although I feel he played his part in gifting them the second goal which was a stupid one to give away.

"But he's not played a lot at this level recently and he produced a couple of important saves early on, especially from set-plays when Crewe looked dangerous."