England goalkeeping coach hails England's number one...

Nihat headed the cross with power and accuracy. It was going in - there seemed to be no doubt about it...until David James produced a save of outstanding quality and huge importance....

That tip over the bar did as much as anything to secure England the vital three points and put a broad smile on the face of England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence.

"It was one of those looping headers that are horrible for the goalkeeper to deal with. They tend to go up above you and drop down behind you into the net," Ray explained when he caught up with TheFA.com to discuss last night's magnificent match.

"When he [Nihat] headed it, I thought this is going to take something special. I thought the only hope was somebody getting back and heading it off the line.

"But David has proved over the years that he has got as much agility and spring as any goalkeeper you've ever seen. The elevation that he got and strength of his touch was magnificent - nothing short of that."

With David Seaman out injured, David James had the opportunity to stake his claim for the number one spot in two huge games - his first-ever competitive outings for England. He certainly took his chance.

"He will be pleased with his performance over the two games," says Clemence. "A lot of people were talking about will he or will he not be able to deal with it. He's proved over the two games that he's more than capable.

"He capped his week with that save in the last few minutes. I've always said that the difference between good and great goalkeepers is that the great ones can make saves that influence games. David's save influenced the game without a shadow of a doubt. It would have been 1-1 if not for that save."

And it was not just David's performance that has left Ray beaming. The attitude and application of Paul Robinson and Richard Wright over the course of the double-header has also made an impression on the former Liverpool and Spurs legend.

"Whenever I'm with the England squad, it's marvellous to work with the best," he says. "David Seaman was injured, so I've had Richard, Paul and David and they've all been exceptional on the training ground.

"Not only have they been wonderful for me to work with but they've also worked well with each other, which is marvellous.

"They've helped each other right through the ten days - pushing each other, encouraging each other and you can't ask for anything more than that as a coach.

"David may have been the one who played the two games, and he's played very, very well but the other two have also performed exceptionally well in training."

So, after a period in which people had begun to question the depth of England's goalkeeping talent, suddenly the situation looks a whole lot healthier. Not only have we got the three 'keepers selected for the last squad but we've also got Seaman and Kirkland waiting in the wings.

"David Seaman will hopefully be fit in a week or a couple of weeks while Chris Kirkland will be back next season," reveals Clem. "But he's very much in our thoughts because he was playing extremely well for Liverpool when he sustained that nasty injury."

For a while though, everyone can enjoy the sweet taste of Wednesday night's victory. Not least Ray who has overseen two vital clean sheets in four days.

"Goalkeepers thrive on clean sheets that's a certainty. It was a good week."

Ray Clemence was talking to Daniel Freedman