Walker ponders removing shell-shocked rookie ’keeper from firing line

9:35am Monday 7th April 2008

By Dave Flett

YORK City boss Colin Walker will talk to rookie goalkeeper Josh Mimms today before deciding whether to take him out of the firing line.

The 18-year-old former Liverpool trainee looked shellshocked after the Minstermen went down 6-1 at Crawley Town on Saturday. It was the club's heaviest loss of the season and the biggest margin of defeat since a 6-0 drubbing at Carlisle three years ago.

Walker felt Mimms might only have been responsible for one of the goals conceded at Crawley but, after also shipping three in his debut against Stevenage, the City chief will be assessing the psychological damage that might have been caused by being beaten nine times during his first two senior matches.

Senior stopper Tom Evans has, therefore, been placed on standby for tomorrow night's trip to second-bottom Stafford Rangers.

Walker said: "I felt for Josh because he didn't have any help in front of him. Letting in six goals will prey on his mind and there's always that possibility it might happen. I will have a little chat with him but it was certainly not all down to Josh. There were certainly worse performances in front of him.

"I might ask him about the second goal when he was lining up the free-kick but the bigger problems were people not marking and letting players run off them. You have to take positives out of every game and he will remember the match and say That can't happen again'. But there's no blame from me on Josh. I blame the whole team."

Walker added the performance had tested his sanity and also issued an apology to City's 161 travelling fans.

He said: "I can't really express how I feel without going loopy. All I can say is the coaching staff will definitely get it sorted out but it might be later rather than sooner. We have been the form team since I took over but, recently, that's gone the other way. I have to question why and we are doing that, but I don't know whether it's making a difference. Now I need a response.

"We looked disjointed and I can't believe it was the same team that played well against Stevenage. I'm a very, very angry man and that performance can't be tolerated ever again, but I think I've said that before.

"The players have got to have a serious look at themselves and I will have a serious look at myself as well because I don't shirk responsibility. It was absolutely and totally embarrassing and I have to do something about it and I will do. I can only apologise to the fans. There were 160 and they vented their feelings at the end and I can't argue with what they said."

Three of the goals were conceded from dead-ball situations - two from corners and one from a free-kick.

Defending set-pieces has been a season-long problem for the Minstermen, but Walker insisted it was not for the want of training ground tuition.

He said: "We work on defending and attacking at set-pieces but you then have to put that into practice. When you cross the white line you have to make the right decisions."