Town goalkeeper Christian Walton hopes to have given manager Kieran McKenna a decision to make with number one Alex Palmer facing an imminent return to fitness.

Palmer played virtually every league game for the club from his arrival in February until he was forced to be withdrawn from the Blues’ home defeat to Charlton Athletic in October.

That came after he pulled up with a calf injury, but the former West Bromwich Albion keeper is approaching a return having missed the last seven weeks of football.

In his place, Walton has stepped up and started the last nine Championship matches, keeping his fourth clean sheet of the season and producing a number of excellent saves in Town’s 3-0 home victory over league-leaders Coventry City on Saturday.

Walton says his focus is solely on helping the team, and says the Blues’ busy run has been an ideal opportunity to return to the feeling of match action.

“Every player has to do that when they come into the team,” he said. “I’ve said it before, competition for places this year, last year and the year before has always been something at this club. I just want to do well for the team and do what I can.

“No one wants to be on the bench. I’ve spent a little bit of time on it here and there over the last couple of years, so it’s nice to be playing.

“It’s perfect for me, I’ve needed it. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve played a lot of games in the two months that I’ve been playing. It’s great for a goalie especially to play a lot of games and get into the rhythm of things. It’s been really nice and I'm really enjoying it.”

Town’s core principles under Kieran McKenna are clear, with the goalkeeper and defenders trusted to keep hold of possession and play through the press to forge attacks of their own.

Naturally, that style of play has pros and cons. While the Blues have been caught out on occasion in recent weeks, there have been examples of attacking success that have the goalkeeper at source.

Walton, who plays a key part at the base of the team, has played that way for long enough.

He said: “If you actually break the game down and watch it back, you see moments where we’ve built from the back, we get through the pitch and we’re winning a corner high up. It’s clear for everyone to see.

“If you’ve been coming to Portman Road for the last four years, you know that’s what we do as a team. When there’s new players, it takes a bit more time, but I still think there’s plenty of good stuff and a lot of success comes off the back of it.

“We just need to stick with it and enjoy the challenge of building up.”

Victory over high-flying Coventry was just what Town needed after a difficult week on the road where trips to Oxford United and Blackburn Rovers yielded just one point.

On some of the criticisms that have come their way, Walton said: “There’s always going to be after defeats, after draws when you should be winning, and after poor performances. That’s inevitable at any club.

“I don’t look too much into it. I don’t read it and I don’t listen to it. It can be difficult when the crowd are getting frustrated but it’s part of being a footballer.

“We would all have taken responsibility. When you have a lot of games, training can be difficult because you don’t have much time to train. Friday, Tuesday, the Tuesday before the Friday game is obviously tough to get your training in.

“But we have to make sure it’s at a really good level because it carries on into performances on a matchday. It’s a big thing for the manager that we’ve always had at this club is to train well, and it comes out in performance on a matchday.”

The Championship table makes for better viewing, with the Blues now into fourth in the table ahead of another home match against sixth-placed Stoke City on Wednesday.

“It’s good,” Walton added. “We try not to look at the table too much because it can change so quickly, but we’ll enjoy the evening tonight and go again on Wednesday.

“That’s the biggest thing. Another top team coming here that’s done well this season so we know the challenge is going to be tough, but we go into it with full belief.”

Photo: Matchday Images