Jack Walton was pleased to help Barnsley to a Checkatrade Trophy win at Oldham Athletic on Tuesday before making his first League One appearance of the season against Walsall tomorrow.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper impressed in the 2-1 cup win, making a spectacular 95th-minute close range save to prevent a penalty shoot-out. He said: “It was a good save and I was happy with it. I was pleased with my performance and to get a win. It was good to be back on the pitch and get some gametime before playing in a big league game on Saturday in front of a big crowd.”
Walton made his debut for the Reds last season, impressing in the final three games as they were relegated from the Championship. He replaced long-serving number one Adam Davies, who then regained his place under new coach Daniel Stendel for this season. But captain Davies’ Wales call-up has given Walton another opportunity to play against Walsall tomorrow.
“We came back in pre-season and both battled for the number one spot and he got the nod. It’s frustrating for me but he kept four clean sheets in a row so he has done really well. I want the number one shirt and I will keep pushing for it. I have already shown what I can do last season. I am happy for Davo to get a call-up for Wales, which is a big honour, and it’s an opportunity for me to play in the league. I am looking forward to it.”
Walton says the mood is different to when he made his debut in April. He said: “It’s much better to be in a positive environment, confidence is high and we want to keep the unbeaten record as long as we can.”
Walton’s only previous action this season had been in the 3-1 League Cup loss at Blackpool when he was booked for handling the ball outside of his penalty area which led to the final goal. He said: "You are only as good as your last game. I was disappointed with my performance at Blackpool but I bounced back at Oldham.”
