PENALTY saves are often a case of more good luck than judgment but Wanderers believe their goalkeeping coach, Fred Barber, has come up with a method that tips the scales in their favour.
Steve Banks' spectacular save from Walsall's Tony Barras in the Worthington Cup last week - the matchwinner according to Sam Allardyce - was the second time he has followed Barber's instructions and the second time he has been successful.
"There was the penalty against Huddersfield as well," Banks says, recalling the crucial save from Craig Armstrong that prevented the Terriers going 3-1 up in last season's Reebok encounter which evetually ended 2-2.
"I'm not going to say what it is but Fred had this idea ... it's not 100 per cent proof but I've had two penalties so far and saved them both. It's as good an idea as any!"
Wanderers believe that in Barber they have one of the best goalkeeping coaches in the business - a tough task master but a respected one.
"It's a completely different type of game and different training," Banks says, "but it is tough. You don't take much part in the running since the statistics show that goalkeepers never have to run much more than seven yards. So we work on our goalkeeping fitness, being sharp up to 10 yards at the most.
"It's changing a lot and the way Fred coaches is the way forward."
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