WHEN a player of Teddy Sheringham's experience and standing makes a point of shaking the goalkeeper's hand during the game you know he must have made one hell of a save, writes Derek Davis.

WHEN a player of Teddy Sheringham's experience and standing makes a point of shaking the goalkeeper's hand during the game you know he must have made one hell of a save, writes Derek Davis.

Step forward Kelvin Davis, who not only pushed away what looked a certain goal by the former England and Manchester United star but seconds earlier had made an equally brilliant stop to deny Malky Mackay.

Play had gone up to the other end of the pitch as Sheringham got over his disbelief at not netting his 250th career goal to step forward and offer a congratulatory hand to Davis.

The Blues keeper, no stranger to brilliant saves, said: "It was a reaction save, something we work hard on in training, and I suppose Teddy thought he had scored and when someone prevents that he just acknowledged that.

"I'm happy to make those kinds of saves and will keep working on that."

Davis almost blotted his copybook minutes later when he brought down Carl Fletcher for a penalty, but Sheringham again wasted the opportunity to reach the landmark and pulled his spot kick wide after Davis went the wrong way.

He said: "My honest opinion on the penalty was that he was looking for it rather than trying to go anywhere with the ball, and the pace with which the ball went off the pitch highlights that.

"I should have been a bit wiser than to go to ground."

As for being outwitted, Davis joked: "It was tactic of mine to dive out of the way and put him off. It worked brilliantly.

"We played a lot better second half and had chances, and don't forget Bywater in their goal made some very good saves, which shows how well we did."

The Blues keeper, a free signing from Wimbledon, rarely enjoys clean sheets, something manager Joe Royle puts down to the whole team.

Davis added: "We have got to defend as a team and we all know that, maybe we weren't 100% doing that, which is why we may have been under as much pressure as we were. But they have very good players as well, and we have to be up for that. If we can get it right we will go places."

Davis is likely to to be rested for tomorrow night's Carling Cup second- round tie at Doncaster with understudy Lewis Price taking his place.