IT needed cool heads and plenty of bottle for ten-man City to conquer Altrincham last Saturday. No-one illustrated more of those attributes than 'keeper James Coates.

The newest kid on the St George's Lane block may still be of teenage years, but nobody would have guessed when he showed the nerves and composure of a veteran to keep the Robins at bay.

Goalkeepers perhaps face the toughest scrutiny of all when the chips are down, yet 19-year-old Coates stood up to be counted with an imperious display.

His kicking was first class, his handling faultless and his shot-stopping mesmerising. A terrific double save deep into injury-time probably summed up what was an almost near-perfect home debut.

"I was really happy with my performance," Coates said. "My distribution was good and I made a couple of decent saves. It gave me a lot of confidence and it helped the team pick up three points."

His four displays in City colours have all been impressive and they have certainly done Coates no harm as he looks to fashion a successful career in the game.

He was plying his trade in the reserves at Nationwide Conference club Leigh RMI when the call came from John Barton to replace number one goalkeeper Danny McDonnell, who is currently injured with broken ribs.

Coates, who has appeared for Wales at Under 17 and 19 levels, as well as being selected for the Under 21 squad, arrived at Leigh in early September after another short spell at Welsh Premier League outfit Total Network Solutions.

Before that, Manchester-born Coates was a squad member at Coca-Cola League Two side Mansfield Town for two seasons. He even made the bench at the Millennium Stadium in May this year when the Stags lost their Division Three Play-Off Final against Huddersfield Town.

He was sadly released by Mansfield manager Keith Curle who believed Coates required experience in non-league football to sharpen his mental toughness.

Coates said: "I was disappointed but it's understandable. Keith told me that I had the ability but mentally, I had a lot to improve on. He said I was not ready for first-team football at that level.

"So far this season I think every game I've played in has been ten times better than last season. I feel as though I have improved a lot, especially with my decision making.

"For example, against Altrincham, when we were under pressure in the last ten minutes, I felt on top of my game. If it was last season, I might have bottled it, dropped a cross or jumped into trouble mentally.

"Hopefully, I can spread my name about a bit while I'm at Worcester. I want to be the number one goalkeeper wherever I'm at."