Rudd gives Lambert a problem

Goalkeeper Declan Rudd handed City manager Paul Lambert a selection poser for the weekend after keeping a clean sheet on his home debut. The 18-year-old from Diss, replacing suspended on-loan keeper Fraser Forster, was not overworked on his first senior start after one early save from Leyton Orient's Luke Summerfield - and another scare when Charlie Daniels' long-range thunderbolt struck the crossbar.

Goalkeeper Declan Rudd handed City manager Paul Lambert a selection poser for the weekend after keeping a clean sheet on his home debut.

The 18-year-old from Diss, replacing suspended on-loan keeper Fraser Forster, was not overworked on his first senior start after one early save from Leyton Orient's Luke Summerfield - and another scare when Charlie Daniels' long-range thunderbolt struck the crossbar.

But Rudd did everything that could be expected of him and Lambert must now decide whether to retain him for Saturday's visit of Bristol Rovers.

Said Lambert: "I had no qualms about putting him in. His kicking is brilliant, for a young kid. He's only 18. He had no chance with the shot that hit the crossbar but to be fair to him he's come in and if you're talking about a problems, he's given me a problem.

"You could say the same about Korey Smith, a young lad that's just come in there, but he's in the team on merit. It's not as if he's a young lad and we've got time to wait for him to develop. He's in there because he's good enough to sustain it, which he is doing it. Dec will be the same. If I think you're good enough, you're old enough. I always think if you're good enough there's no point keeping you out of the team for so long because you're pushing and pushing and pushing. I'm not frightened to go with young lads providing I think they're good enough. Korey Smith is playing way beyond his years. Dec may do the same. I don't have a problem with playing young ones."