Ryan setting up a fight for keeping job! Steven Chicken

Schofield the distinction of becoming the first Town player this season to earn a 9 out of 10 in our post-match player ratings.

Realistically, the 21-year-old is going to make a costly blunder or two at some point for his hometown club - that’s goalkeeping - but so far we’re yet to see it happen. Stepping in for a one-off appearance and doing well is one thing, but do it repeatedly and you build up a body of evidence that you are capable of playing at this level. We were already believers, but this performance has turned us into evangelists.

You even wonder if the strength of this performance is sufficient to tempt Carlos Corberan into sticking with Schofield even if Ben Hamer returns to full training this week as expected.

Commenting on Schofield’s new contract in October, head of football operations Leigh Bromby said: “We believe this is the perfect place to transition Ryan into a regular firstteam player as we see him becoming our future No.1.”

Hamer has exceeded expectations this season and all

it would be a shame for him to lose his place now, but if the idea was to give Schofield regular starts at some point this season, there can be no better time than right now.

IT stands out like a sore thumb now, doesn’t it, that 5-0 against Bournemouth? Bookending it are two pairs of clean sheets and 10 points from a possible 12. Schofield rightly takes the plaudits on this particular occasion, but all four games have required all the players to dig in and ensure the opposition do not find a way back into the match.

We bemoaned Town’s inability to do exactly that earlier in the season after they threw away too many points from winning positions in