Scott Gallacher says he is ready to fight to keep his place in the Airdrie starting line-up after a clean sheet against Stranraer.
The goalkeeper made his first league appearance since August 2018 as a surprise inclusion ahead of who boss Ian Murray said had been rested.
The 30-year-old, who missed over a year of action due to an anterior cruciate ligament, was now aiming to keep his place between the sticks for the vital clash against Raith this weekend.
“It’s hard to wait for your chance,” he told the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser.
“You’re playing reserve games which you need to play because I wouldn’t have felt comfortable coming into this game if I didn’t.
“I’ve done that before at previous clubs and you’re just not right.
“Playing the reserve games for me was definitely the way to kick on into the first team.
“I’m glad the manager has picked me as well.
“There have been a few times where I have thought I was or I wasn’t going to get in, and you just never know in football.”
He added: “There is a good battle for the jersey now.
“David is a good goalkeeper but now it’s just for me to try and keep the jersey.
“Hopefully with the clean sheet I can keep my place for the game against Raith.
“I know David will be breathing down my neck and that’s the way it should be.
“That’s the same right across the board, everyone should be battling to get every single position in the team.”
Despite his delight at keeping a clean sheet, the former Rangers, Hearts and Dumbarton goalkeeper admits he was gutted not to win against Stevie Farrell’s side.
He said: “We wanted to win the match, obviously that was the game plan, but for me personally to get a clean sheet with the defence doing absolutely brilliantly was great.
“There was a couple of times they got caught but overall they did really well against a striker with the experience of Ryan Stevenson.
“The team are disappointed though. We have a mind set not where we want to kick on and really push for the league.
"It was points dropped rather than points gained, but now we need to look at Raith and kick on.”
