GOALKEEPER Jamie Stephens is ready to fight Lenny Pidgeley all the way for the right to replace Joe Day in the Newport County AFC goal at Carlisle tomorrow.

Loan star Day has returned to Peterborough United until January at least, leaving Stephens and Pidgeley to compete for a starting spot at Brunton Park.

Manager Justin Edinburgh is playing his cards close to his chest but Stephens, who has just returned from a loan spell at Gloucester City, wants to make it as difficult a decision as possible.

“I’m feeling good,” said the 21-year-old. “Training has been good this week and it was good for me to get some games at Gloucester.

“I got six games in three and a half weeks so it was quite full on.

“We got two wins and two clean sheets, which was a positive for me and the team because they were struggling a bit but Tim Harris is a good manager and I’m sure they’ll be fine.

“And having that game-fitness is always important so that might possibly be one of the factors.”

Despite competing with Pidgeley, Stephens insists that the pair have a good working relationship and he would also be happy to see Day return from Peterborough in January.

“Lenny is a great keeper and a great friend to me as well,” said Stephens. “We’re good friends on and off the pitch and professionally we push each other.

“He gets the best out of me and I get the best out of him. We support each other no matter what.

“Joe is a great person as well and I’ll definitely stay in touch with him,” he added.

“He’s a great professional and he’s helped me massively with things in training, just like Lenny has, and seeing someone play at that standard makes you want to improve yourself.

“He’s a couple of years older than me but it shows you where you can get to if you work hard.

“It’s a hard one because I want to be playing football but you’ve got to look out for the team as well and it would be good to see Joe back.

“It’s all about the team. You want to do well as an individual but we’re doing really well at the minute and we want that to continue.”

Stephens says three points at Carlisle would make the long trip home on Saturday night much more enjoyable.

“I’m not too bad with long trips,” he said. “I’ve just done Barrow and Lowestoft with Gloucester.

“We lost 5-0 at Barrow in my first game and the six-hour journey home wasn’t a nice experience but we went to Lowestoft and won 3-0 and I know which I preferred!”