Paddy Davitt King's Lynn's back up keeper Rob Murray will relish his starring role in Saturday's Southern League, Premier Division title clash against Team Bath at The Walks.

Paddy Davitt

King's Lynn's back up keeper Rob Murray will relish his starring role in Saturday's Southern League, Premier Division title clash against Team Bath at The Walks.

Murray deputises for suspended first choice stopper Scott Howie but the teenager is unfazed ahead of only his second start of the league campaign.

“I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “It's definitely one of the biggest games I could have picked and I know how important it is. I just want to go out and give a good account of myself. I don't feel under any extra pressure to perform. I felt I've done ok in the cup games this season and I've trained well so I'm not worried. I'm ready to go out and enjoy myself.”

Murray's only other league start came in Lynn's 3-0 romp at Swindon Supermarine in September. The former Grimsby trainee played the final hour of the 2-2 draw against Hitchin last month after Howie had been red carded.

The confident youngster admits he has big boots to fill in the absence of Lynn's former Scottish U21 international.

“Scott has been brilliant all season,” he said. “For me, he is the best keeper in the league by miles. I've learned so much from working with him in training and he has been great to me - taking time out to help me improve my own game. I really enjoyed the Swindon match and even the Hitchin game despite the result because I wasn't expecting to get on.

“All the other defenders will be there to help me. Whether it's Gavin Hoyte or Greg Crane - who is a good talker. Then you've got lads like Dean West and Ben Chapman as well so the communication is not going to be a problem - it's going to be difficult getting a word in edge ways.”

Murray is ready to shine on the big stage in front of a bumper Walks crowd after coming through the ranks at Blundell Park. The 19-year-old was a first team squad regular last season for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy runners-up.

“I was on the bench for most of the year,” he said. “I was also a regular in Grimsby's reserves so I've played in front of quite similar crowds to the one that might be there on Saturday. That isn't a problem in terms of nerves.”

Murray was a keen spectator for Lynn's 4-0 win over the second-placed Students at Twerton Park in February. Lynn's back up keeper is quick to downplay that result and Team Bath's 4-3 defeat at Bashley on Tuesday as the title race boils to a climax.

“Everybody put in a great performance on the night but I don't think we can take too much out of it,” said Murray. “With our recent results we have to be confident. They will come here after the Bashley defeat and it could go either way. It puts more pressure on them to try and get a result and sometimes that can be a good thing. We just need to look no further than this one. We've got four or five left and each one in turn is as big as the last. If we treat it like that then I think we'll be there or thereabouts.”