New Crystal Palace goalkeeping coach Jim Stannard has backed Scott Flinders to push current custodian Julian Speroni all the way for the number one jersey.

Flinders has made just one appearance for Palace this season, in the penalty shoot-out defeat to Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup, and with Speroni in sparkling form at the moment the 21-year-old is likely to find his first-team chances limited.

Furthermore, the fact that boss Neil Warnock regularly names a match day 16 without a substitute goalkeeper means that Flinders is very much the forgotten man at Selhurst Park at the moment.

But former Gillingham and Fulham keeper Stannard, who replaced Tony Burns as goalkeeping coach last week, insists the race for the Eagles gloves is a two horse race.

"Scott Flinders is big, strong and athletic.

"From some of the accounts I've heard he didn't have the best time here last year - but I've assessed him and I think he has a lot of potential.

"Scott is pushing Julian quite close for the jersey, the club expect him to push on and so do I.

"Once I've seen both of them fully over the next month or so I can assess the situation and tell the manager what I think."

But Stannard admits not featuring on the Eagles bench on match days will inevitably take its toll on the former Brighton keeper.

"It's up to me to build his confidence, it's difficult for him because the gaffer doesn't have a keeper on the bench which must feel like he has been left out.

"So I suppose my job is to put my arm round him and try and keep his head up."

Over a week into his Eagles employment, the 45-year-old says he is enjoying every minute of life in SE25 - even if it is not what he expected.

"It's been a little bit different from what I'm used to.

Normally, I'm a goalkeeping coach, but at the moment I've been doing some work with the back four and I've been doing shooting sessions with the forwards which I have really enjoyed.

"Being a goalkeeping coach can be isolated - but the manager likes the goalkeepers to work near the other players which is terrific because we are a unit and we should train as a unit.

"It's been a good start for myself - but I'm hoping to improve on that now."