Connal Trueman believes that his understanding on the pitch with Steve Seddon will be of real benefit to Wimbledon’s hopes of earning more clean sheets this season.
Connal's first shut-out since arriving here came on Saturday at Fleetwood - and it's perhaps more than a coincidence that it was Birmingham City team-mate Steve Seddon's first game back at Wimbledon.
"Me and Steve have got a good understanding, we have played together a lot in youth and Under-23 games," said Connal. "We get on well, both and off the pitch. He knows the boys from his previous spell, so he slotted in seamlessly. It's good to have him back. When he told me (that he was coming back) I was really excited. He was a big part in getting me through the door here, so to have him at Wimbledon is something I'm excited about. It's about developing those relationships at the back and to have someone that I've already got that understanding with is a beneficial thing."
Connal praised our Goalkeeper Coach Bayzo for the standard of his training sessions every day - and the healthy competition with fellow keepers Nik Tzanev and Matthew Cox.
"There's a good standard within the group and a friendly rivalry. We push each other on, and I think that shows with the standard of our sessions. Bayzo demands intensity in our work-outs and that's a big thing for him. That's when you get the most quality out of yourself when you work at that level, so it's something that I definitely enjoy.
"It (a clean sheet) is what you are after every week as a keeper. It's what you train for. We did defensive work today and we want to replicate what we did on Saturday as much as possible. It was nice to make a save early on, it settled everyone down a bit and we grew into the game. If you concede an early goal it's always an uphill battle and it was just a good time to make a save. It allowed us to get a foothold in the game and a great result."
We caught up with Connal after another hard training session today with Bayzo. Watch Rob Cornell's interview below, plus all-action footage of Connal showing his goalkeeping qualities in abundance.