Back-up number one buzzing for the chance to play in a huge New Year's Day game at Derby County
The 21 year-old experienced his first taste of a big crowd when replacing Nicholas Bilokapic after 20 minutes of Friday night’s thrilling 2-2 draw with Barnsley at the Weston Homes Stadium.
But swapping a 10k attendance at Posh for a possible 30k crowd against high-flying Derby County on Monday throws Talley’s task into perspective.
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Hide AdHe’s looking forward to the challenge though, if Bilokapic is ruled out of a battle between third and fourth as expected.
"I hope Nick is fit to play because no-one wants to get into a side because of injury,” Talley said.
"But if I play I have to see it as a great opportunity. Playing in the Football League is what I’ve been working towards and I was buzzing to get on against Barnsley, even if it was far from the ideal scenario.
"I’m looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Derby even if I’m not playing.”
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Hide AdBefore Friday night Talley’s first-team football experience had been limited to EFL Cup and Trophy games, although he was a penalty shootout hero in matches against Portsmouth and Salford.
Talley conceded a goal and mishandled a cross in his first 20 minutes on the pitch against Barnsley, but a decent stop just before half-time led to him settling down and playing well in the second-half.
"It wasn’t a ‘worldie’ save by any stretch of the imagination,” Talley added. “It was actually quite a comfortable one, but it gave me confidence.
"It was a totally different experience for me compared to my cup appearances. Concentration was the key for me and the defence after the break and I felt we did well. We were unlucky not to win the game as we had plenty of momentum and chances.
"We had to play a bit differently to what we are used to, but having ‘Jonno’ (Clarke-Harris) up front came in handy as the ball was sticking to him.”