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Neither of Wanderers’ goalkeepers can profess to having had a particularly busy debut in the last week.
Nathan Baxter touched the ball 62 times in Saturday’s win against Lincoln City but was not credited with a single save, while Joel Coleman managed 40 touches in the Carabao Cup in midweek, a total which was oddly higher than all but one of the Barrow outfielders.
Busier times lie ahead for certain but Ian Evatt is pleased to see some genuine competition developing between his two experienced first team options.
Former Wanderers keeper Adam Bogdan dropped in to watch the Barrow game and the number one for the last 18 months, James Trafford, also stopped by, perhaps as a distraction for the build up to Burnley’s opening game against his former employers Manchester City on Friday night.
The England Under-21 international’s progress with the Whites – which led to a £19million summer move to Turf Moor – has acted as a glowing recommendation of the work Matt Gilks and Co are doing in the goalkeeping department.
Evatt is keen to see both of his new summer signings spur each other on this season.
“Joel is here to challenge and push Nathan. I think he did really well,” he said.
“Both of our keepers have come off the field now saying they have never had an easier game in their career but hopefully they will get used to it and we will keep dictating games the way we have the first two.
“They are two very good goalkeepers and the department has been exceptional for a couple of years now, with James (Trafford), because Matt Gilks is doing some fantastic work.
“I honestly think we will continue to see improvement for both of those two, and so long as we keep keeping those clean sheets and the team can get an early goal which allows us to relax and protect, we are obviously very good at that. Our record speaks for itself.”
Another debutant on Tuesday night was Zac Ashworth, the West Brom loanee looking to ensure that Wanderers trigger a buy out clause in his contract this season.
The youngster scored with a free kick just before half time – his first-ever senior goal – and showed up well as a left wing-back.
Evatt was happy to see Ashworth and a few of his other new signings get some competitive football, even through the game proved a frustrating affair.
“I am pleased for him, it’s is first senior goal, and managing to blood him, Paris (Maghoma) and Carlos (Mendes Gomes) gives them the minutes they need,” Evatt said. “Again, they are getting used to us and what we want from them so I can only see them improving from here.”
Wanderers put 16 shots in on the Barrow goal on Tuesday night, only three of which ended up on target.
They had a whopping 955 touches of the ball compared to the League Two side’s 394 but found them a tough nut to crack.
Ashworth’s free kick a minute before half time gave the Whites some breathing room and Evatt believes the fact they got in front is evidence of the progression his team has made since the summer.
“It is tough when there are 10 men behind the ball and there is very little space,” he explained. “At times there were nine or 10 Barrow players in the penalty box and it is challenging to play through that.
“We welcome it because we have to find a way to break it down and we got the goal, which means we are in charge and ahead, and we were probably waiting for them to come out earlier than they did. It was probably injury time by the time they really started to throw men forward, which again is respect to us.
“The most important thing is that we got that goal. In the past we wouldn’t have done that, or maybe we had gone behind to a set piece or a counter-attack. It is great to be able to score early and manage the game as we see fit, really.”
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