SATURDAY was the first time that Jimmy Walker had a clean-sheet, in a senior game, for more than two-and-a-half years!

Carl Marston

By Carl Marston

SATURDAY was the first time that Jimmy Walker had a clean-sheet, in a senior game, for more than two-and-a-half years!

Obviously that doesn't tell the whole tale - the experienced Walker had been stuck in the Reserves at West Ham, until his loan move to Colchester at the end of last month. His last senior game for the Hammers had been in May, 2006.

Walker does not know what the future holds for him in the new year, but he was delighted to play his part in an entertaining goalless draw against fifth-placed Scunthorpe.

“It's about time that I kept a clean-sheet! It's been coming,” insisted Walker, following his fourth appearance for the U's.

“The lads were fantastic again. Both our full-backs (Marc Tierney and Alan Maybury) were brilliant, Pat Baldwin came in and did a good job, and Chris Coyne has been in a different gear since I've been here. It's his 30th birthday, though he sometimes looks 45!

“I thought it was a very good game. It was certainly not a boring 0-0 draw.

“Steve Gillespie nearly nicked it for us late on, and at least he's getting in some good positions. It's only a matter of time before he starts scoring some goals.

“The lads are flying at the moment, and we must keep driving on,” added Walker.

Gillespie steered a 90th minute shot inches wide of the far post as the U's came close to notching a rare home win - they have won just two of their 12 home matches since the move to their new Community Stadium.

Walker continued: “I don't know what the future holds after this month. I had a chat with the gaffer (Paul Lambert) at the start and we agreed that I should be here for one month.”

The 35-year-old keeper's previous clean-sheet in a first-team fixture was West Ham's 1-0 home win over Manchester City on May 15, 2006.

The U's are in action at Brighton & Hove Albion on Boxing Day.