Accrington Stanley still looking for keeper despite Dunbavin form
10:50am Saturday 15th September 2012 in Sport
By Chris Flanagan, Sports reporter
IAN Dunbavin missed out on the League Two player of the month award yesterday, and Accrington Stanley boss Paul Cook admits he may still look to bring in a goalkeeper to provide competition for his in-form stopper.
Dunbavin was nominated for the monthly award after producing man of the match performances to keep clean sheets in Stanley’s opening two games of the League Two campaign, victories over Southend and Port Vale, then saving a penalty against Exeter.
The 32-year-old missed out on the player of the month award to Oxford defender Jake Wright but his impressive form – including some of the best displays of his sometimes inconsistent six-year Reds career – comes after Cook spent the summer searching for a new goalkeeper.
Dunbavin is currently the only senior stopper on Stanley’s books, with former Liverpool goalkeeper Tony Warner among those who featured in pre-season on trial.
Back-up Andrew Dawber, 17, also impressed on his senior debut in the recent Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie against Morecambe but Cook says he is still in the market for a goalkeeper should the right man become available.
“I still look for a goalkeeper, for a striker, for a centre half,” said the Reds boss. “I like players to be on their toes and not fear for their positions but respect their position – that’s a big difference.
“If you think you’re in a comfort zone to play, then all of a sudden you’ll find your form dipping.
“We’re pleased with how it’s gone so far, we don’t feel the necessity to change goalkeepers at the minute.
“But it’s a situation we’ll monitor because obviously if something happened to Ian we’d be left with young Dawbs as our only goalkeeper. It’s a situation we monitor daily, although not one we’re looking to do something about in the immediate.”
And Cook insists Dunbavin must now maintain his form ahead of today’s trip to Dagenham.
“It’s like saying, ‘Your striker’s doing well, he’s scoring’,” Cook said.
“I thought that’s what he was paid to do. The lads have had a solid start, none more so than Ian, he is in a good vein of form and long may it continue.
“If we keep doing well our players should be in teams of the week and stuff like that. I don’t think we should be patting them on the back for it, it’s what we should expect.”
