David Artell says that Dave Richards has performed well enough to retain the number one shirt ahead of Finnish youngster Will Jaaskelainen - but the Alex boss believes that the competition for the goalkeeping competition is as fierce as ever between the two.

Richards gained the number one spot back in mid-January and kept his sixth clean-sheet of the season against Doncaster on Tuesday evening.

Artell told the club’s official website: “Trig (Richards) has come in and done fine. He has held his place because he has been relatively mistake free. That is what it is about.

“There have been one or two things he can improve on but he knows that and he hasn’t made any mistakes that have cost us.

“He has to continue to be as mistake free as he can be. He has done what he has needed to do.

“Trig has the shirt and he has to play well enough to retain the shirt because if he doesn’t then there is a very good goalkeeper underneath who will take it off him.

“The competition is healthy and he has to stay as mistake free as possible to stay in the team.”