Fleetwood Town manager Micky Mellon faces a selection headache after outstanding performances by his two first-team keepers this week.
Craig Dootson (pictured) kept Corby Town at bay in last Saturday’s Blue Square North victory whilst Danny Hurst restricted Premiership Blackburn Rovers to a single goal in a friendly earlier this week.
Town’s goal difference increased to five over second spot Southport when the Haig Avenue outfit were thumped 4-1 at Hinckley United on Monday. Although Town sit three points ahead of their north-west rivals, a healthy goal difference may provide an edge at the business end of the season.
Clean sheets are vital to any promotion campaign and Danny Hurst knows only too well their importance. The town keeper recorded five clean sheets in a row against in Town’s last promotion season in 2007/08. He also had seven away clean sheets in a row during the same championship run-in.
“That was a good record and I just hope me or Doots can put in a repeat performance. Our promotion push is a team effort so it doesn’t matter which one of us keeps the clean sheets.”
Following a string of fine saves against Rovers, Hurst finally succumbed to an 83rd minute strike when Republic of Ireland under-19 international Aaron Doran unleashed a powerful 20 yard strike.
“It was a good run out and a good test against some top players. Their quality and skill was only too clear to see but we contained them to the single goal. It was a busy evening for me and I’m pleased with my performance.”
Dootson forced Corby to a blank weekend with a number of fine saves and he modestly heaped praise on his three central defenders and two wingbacks.
“The lads in front of me did really well with the new formation. Their tidy work made it quite easy for me. I just had a couple of saves, but nothing more than that really.
Dootson acknowledged his best save of the game when he denied Leon Hibbert with a finger tip save on the half hour mark.
“I’ll take credit for that one, though!”
