Nat Sylvester's City Slicker column

WORCESTER City manager John Barton is on record as saying he's never been at a club with two such talented goallkeepers as Danny McDonnell and Paul Wyatt.

It's every manager's ambition to have competition for places and none more so than in the crucial position of goalkeeper.

However the nature of the role -- where one 'keeper tends to hold on to the shirt for seasons at a time -- makes it difficult to keep both players happy.

Fortunately injuries have sidestepped this problem for Barton with McDonnell and Wyatt enjoying significant spells in the team this season.

But this could have thrown up a conundrum for the City boss -- just who is his number one?

Though regarded as the understudy, Wyatt has performed well during his time in the team although his kicking sometimes leaves the City bench pulling their hair out. His first-half display against Weymouth springs to mind when his eccentric display prompted chants of "dodgy keeper" from the home fans.

A brilliant save late in the second-half, however, illustrated his ability and proved vital with Worcester going on to snatch a late winner.

Now Barton faces a difficult decision of who to pick on Saturday with McDonnell restored to fitness and Wyatt as the sitting tennant in a City side which has won its last two matches.

Statistics are horrible things and to be taken with a big pinch of salt, but here's one to mull over. Wyatt has been on the losing side three times in 20 games compared to McDonnell's eight defeats in 13 games.

Of course there is an alternative solution for Barton -- to follow the route employed by England some 25 years ago when they had two fine keepers by the name of Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence. They simply shared goalkeeping duties from match to match.

On the injury front Allan Davies, who aggravated his hamstring against Weymouth, has ruled himself out of the Salisbury match but is aiming to be fit for the Hednesford Town match a week on Saturday.

Adam Webster has a virus but should be fit to make his debut, but Phil Stant still has a sore Achilles and Mark Shepherd (hamstring) is also doubtful.

Leon Jackson, ruled out through suspension for the Salisbury game, is winning his battle to recover from medial ligament damage.

City's matches against Kings Lynn and Chelmsford have been switched. Kings Lynn away is now on March 2 and Chelmsford at home is on March 9.