DEREK Gaston is not taking anything for granted after seeing the way in which Partick Thistle goalkeeper Scott Fox’s fortunes suddenly changed this season.

After spending much of the current campaign on the bench, Gaston is currently on top in the battle with glove rival Nicolas Caraux, holding down a starting spot since the beginning of February.

The ex-Albion Rovers custodian has been in stunning form of late, keeping back-to-back clean sheets in matches against Dumbarton and Livingston, in which he won the sponsors’ man of the match.

But Gaston points to Fox, who went from being the Jags No1, right, and Scotland squad member in November to Paul Gallacher’s deputy, as an indication of how precarious life can be as a goalkeeper. He told the Tele: “You could be playing well one season and then all of a sudden you can have a loss of form and find yourself out of the team.

“Even if you look at Partick Thistle just now, Scott Fox is a top goalkeeper who has had a few great seasons. He was called up to the Scotland squad but now he’s sitting on the bench.

“It was only a few months ago that he got called up but now he can’t get a game at Partick. I’ve been watching the highlights and Paul Gallacher’s doing well, but it just shows you.

“One minute Scott Fox is on the high of his life, getting a Scotland call-up, and the form of his life, and now after picking up a wee injury he finds himself out of the team. It’s a precarious position.” Despite Morton’s struggles at the bottom of the table and likely relegation to League One, Gaston is currently in the middle of his own impressive spell between the sticks.

The 26-year-old managed consecutive shutouts for the first time this term in recent outings but is refusing to claim all the credit.

He added: “It was our fifth game in two weeks and the boys put a lot of effort into the first half, so we started to tire in the second and got deeper and deeper. Livingston started to creep into it.

“So it was good to keep the clean sheet. It’s got to be the first time I’ve managed two in a row going away back into last season, because we didn’t finish the season too well either. It’s got to be a while.

“It’s been brilliant to manage that in the last couple of games.

“You cherish every clean sheet, so it’s always good.

“On a personal level, my kicking was a wee bit disappointing in the first half if I’m looking for flaws. You’re always looking for ways to improve.

“But it’s obviously not just all about me.

“When you keep a clean sheet the goalkeeper tends to get a lot of praise, but I think we’ve defended well as a team. Everyone deserves credit.”