Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski will make it three successive league appearances when he faces promotion rivals Watford at Portman Road on Saturday and has made it clear he will be reluctant to step aside when Dean Gerken is fully fit again.

The Pole’s big chance came a week ago at bottom club Blackpool when he made his league debut after Gerken was injured in the warm-up, which left manager Mick McCarthy without a keeper on the bench as Bialkowski marked the occasion with a clean sheet in his side’s 2-0 win.

Until then the 27-year-old keeper’s only senior outing since leaving Notts County and signing a two-year deal at Portman Road had come in the Capital One Cup first round tie at Crawley, who triumphed with the only goal scored in extra time.

But despite having to wait almost three months for another first team opportunity Bialkowski insisted he was not caught by surprise and that he was ready to make the most of his chance, however unexpected the circumstances.

He said: “I was waiting for quite a long time to be fair but when I got my chance I managed to stay fully focused and concentrate on the game. I only found out on Saturday 30 minutes before the game that I was playing, which meant I didn’t have much time to think about it to be honest.

“Maybe it was better that I heard so late. Sometimes when you find out you are actually playing it is the day beforehand and you are sitting there trying to think about the game and playing it in your head, so I think it was much easier for me. I just had to focus on my game and performance.”

There were no nerves on Tuesday when Bialkowski made his home debut for Town in the 2-1 win over another top six side, Wolves, and he added: “I didn’t have that much to do but a win is a win and that is the main thing.

“I am quite experienced now and I just enjoy playing football. I love the game and I just couldn’t wait to play at Portman Road. Having now won both the games I have played in I couldn’t be any happier.”

Bialkowski would have marked the occasion with a second successive clean sheet but for James Henry’s rather fortuitous goal for the visitors, when his ball into the box eluded everyone and crept inside the far post.

He said: “It was a dangerous ball into the box and I just had to wait. I couldn’t gamble. Players from both sides came across the flight of the ball, trying to get their heads to it, and I had to take a step back and wait for the ball.

Unfortunately it went in but I was so pleased when Murph scored a few minutes later, both for him and the team, and of course the supporters too.”

Photo: Action Images

Gingerblues added 07:24 - Nov 7 I bet you were pleased! Quite clearly an error on his part. Mind you Gerken cost us against Sheffield Wed and Forest so lets give him a chance. Still feel this is an area of the team that needs strengthening.
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50yearsablue added 07:44 - Nov 7 Jury is still out with me. Nothing to save on Tuesday and beaten poorly by a cross. His hardest work to date was repelling Hunt's effort at Blackpool. Watford's attack will be a bigger test.
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ChrisFelix added 08:07 - Nov 7 Pleased to see him given a chance, as im not 100% happy with Gerken despite an improvement over last season. The goal on Tuesday was a mistake but many better keepers have made similar errors
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Hegansheroes added 09:00 - Nov 7 Not just a mistake by him but the defence in general. Gerkin has cost us quite a few points this season & last. Whilst not 100% convinced by Bart I would like to see him given a run if he has a decent game against Watford
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sirbenofmorlingshire added 09:12 - Nov 7
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StowTractorBoy added 09:40 - Nov 7 Seen him play 4 times now and not convinced yet that he is the answer to being our number one. He was shaky at Crawley, let an awful goal in against Swansea under 21s, was far from convincing at Blackpool and most definitely got his positioning wrong for the Wolves goal on Tuesday. Hope its just a settling in period and he is the goalkeeper we all want him to be. Think he will be busy tomorrow.

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CalneBlue added 09:48 - Nov 7 I'd take issue with those who said it was an error. The cross had too much pace on it to come out and punch/catch. If a Wolves player had got a head on the ball (as you would reasonably expect) then Bart would have been in a decent position to make a save. It may have looked bad but this was just one of those occasions when he was unlucky. And the defenders can take some of the blame for not getting their heads to it.

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Guthrum added 09:48 - Nov 7 People are having a go at Bialkowski because he didn't save that cross-which-became-a-shot, but looking at the replay, there were four players lunging into the box, trying to get a head on the ball. If the 'keeper had moved across to cover where the ball was going he wouldn't have been in a position to block if any of them had made contact - for which he would have been blamed. He can't be in two places at once. It was by no means certain that the cross was going to curl enough to go inside the post, anyway. I'd prefer to put that goal down to a freak occurrence.

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whittonite added 10:15 - Nov 7 they both look the same with those beards,very thoughtful of our keepers, its so we don't notice if ones out!
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PJH added 10:18 - Nov 7 I agree Guthrum that Bart had to assume that someone(attacker or defender) would get a touch so he could not move until it was beyond all of them and by then it was too late.I also think that if Gerks had been in goal he would have been slaughtered on here for his "error".I also think that it is too early to say whether Bart can establish himself as first choice.
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karls_dad added 10:34 - Nov 7 I liked the fact that it would seem that he likes to catch crosse,s rather than Gerks punching, smacks of more confidence in his ability!
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colonel added 10:46 - Nov 7 To keep his place he has to demonstrate that he's better than Gerks. So far he has yet to prove anything but he has a fantastic opportunity to step up on Saturday & put in a confident convincing performance between the sticks against Watford. Go out Bartman & play a blinder, put our nemisis to the sword with a clean sheet & 3 pts. COYB FON
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TimmyH added 13:23 - Nov 7 Goalkeepers fault for the Wolves go - no doubt! not the quickest cross although one of those dangerous in-swinging types, he had enough time to get across on his right side and parry it away in my opinion. But as we won we'll let him off! :)
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