So as the season draws to near to closing and after the signing of Hamish Coates for HWHC, it looks like Ian Scanlon is working hard to keep his spot. After all, having taken it off Simkins about five seasons ago, I don't think he's going to give it up so easily! And he has been in great form recently, surprising Cannock in an upset that saw them win away. Out of all the national league men's teams, I think only Exeter has seen similar competition between their goalkeepers, although I think they'll be healthy competition at Indian Gym now that Alexander has joined with Qays Mir wanting to get back into first team action. Every other squad has a clear cut incumbent (i.e. no-one pushing them for starts, team is happy with them as their first choice, no plans to change! etc.) starter and then reserve arguably not yet ready for 1st team dominance, so it's interesting to see how the situation is being managed and how strong the club wants competition to be. Better to have to fight for starts to push yourself to play better and it looks like Scanlon (unlike some) is not struggling with someone nipping at his heels and is taking his game to another level.
Lonrenz Neff had joined HWHC previously and played in a game or cup game I think but Scanlon was still prefered. I still think his level of goalkeeping is the reason HWHC continue to get so far in the cup every year (they could make the finals for a third time consecutively this year, don't want to jinx it! Made more important by facing Beeston in the finals twice) and arguably a good reason as to why they are able to get points against some of the tougher (draw with Beeston for example) teams in the league and why they have not been in the relegation zone for a while (no offence to the team; Southgate have a strong team but are struggling, just goes to show how strong the league is, if it wasn't I'd be worried!).
And even though he has been selected for the England A side before, it seems strange that his ability is potentially overlooked. He was selected for the Junior World Cup GB U21's team about four years ago and did well out there, only conceding once against Malaysia for example, whilst all of the other notable goalkeepers like Pirmin Blaak, Leon Hayward and Nicklas Sakowsky, have generally been considered for international action recently (Blaak for Holland, Hayward for Australia A), goes to show how different countries approach their junior systems, to some degree.
And it looks like Coates has been playing for the 2s as the photo on the club's website suggests:
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