Could Ashley Maynard-Brewer establish himself as Ross County’s number one goalkeeper this season?
The Charlton loanee made his debut in the Ross County XI against Hearts, and the call from Malky Mackay, which saw him drop existing number one goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw, caused a bit of controversy when the team was revealed.
Laidlaw being left out of the side may not be a random act – the stopper has had a dip in form recently, which included fumbles in the matches against Rangers and Aberdeen.
In his first match in a County shirt, Maynard-Brewer impressed. So much so that he was awarded the man of the match over an electric Blair Spittal, who netted twice.
Despite conceding two goals, the young Australian goalkeeper made a large number of good saves. With very minimal game experience at a level equal to the Premiership, he looked comfortable and seemed unfazed by awkward situations.
Most notably, he got down incredibly well and made a strong right-handed save from a Armand Gnandulliet shot which was well struck.
Maynard-Brewer is similar to Laidlaw in the fact his shot-stopping seems very strong, however, he seems to be more comfortable at set-plays and always looks to come and claim or punch the ball.
In recent seasons, Laidlaw has been tested by other goalkeepers and found himself on the bench on the odd occasion, but he has always managed to come back stronger and win the battle for the number one jersey.
However, if Maynard-Brewer can maintain his strong start, Mackay and his coaching staff will have a real headache when deciding who to play.
If this is to be a season where County don’t have a nailed-on number one goalkeeper, it could cause issues in the backline, but it may also push both goalkeepers to perform at their best.
