Town boss Kieran McKenna has paid tribute to keeper Christian Walton, who has kept a clean sheet in his last eight matches and has been nominated for both the Sky Bet and PFA League One Player of the Month awards.

Walton, 27, now hasn’t conceded a goal for 776 minutes, like the eight successive clean sheets, a new club record, form which has led to claims the former Brighton man is being eyed by plenty of clubs from higher divisions. Another shutout against Wycombe on Good Friday would take Walton to 20 clean sheets this season.

“I think he's in really good form,” McKenna said. “He's a fantastic goalkeeper and, in my opinion, has been a really, really good signing.

“He came here with the type of profile that we've targeted in terms of our recruitment in getting somebody who has got potential to improve, the attitude and willingness to improve and he works really well every day.

“And he's got a great relationship with [keeper-coach] Rene [Gilmartin] and the other goalkeepers.

“It's a really strong unit, they're all pushing each other and I think the other guys have improved as well, to be honest.

“I think Vaz [Vaclav Hladky] has improved, I think Joel [Coleman] has improved and Nick Hayes has been unlucky with his injury, but before that, he had improved so much.

“I think they are all improving. Christian, of course, is leading that. He's performing really well, he's got the potential to keep improving in his all-round game and he continues to do that.

“So we're happy to have him and I know he's just focused on finishing the season as strongly as he can, as he has been in recent times.”

While delighted that his team is performing so well at present, McKenna says he's paid little heed to the records they're breaking.

“It’s not something we’ve spoken about at all as a group. And it’s not something we’ve focused on at all,” he said.

“We need to keep attacking the next game, we don’t want to look backwards and think about records that we’re trying to hold onto or get.

“It’s just about attacking the next game and whatever it takes, whatever scoreline we could beat Wycombe with I would take it right now and we need to go at it with everything to win that game.

“The time for reflecting and counting up will be at the end of the season.”

Photo: Matchday Images

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