If there's a more infuriating job in football than that of No. 2 goalkeeper, Stuart Taylor would like to hear about it.

In two-and-a-half years at Villa Park, his longest continuous first team action amounts to just three matches, a sequence he achieved last season before his hopes of an extended run were dashed by injury.

And the former Arsenal keeper, having initially been understudy to Thomas Sorensen, has this season had to play second fiddle to the on-loan Scott Carson.

That has meant his appearances being restricted to two games against Liverpool when Carson was ineligible, a couple of Carling Cup-ties and a game-and-a-half when the regular keeper was sent off against Manchester United and was suspended for the following week's trip to Bolton.

"It's not easy when you're not playing regularly," admits Taylor. "You can ask any No. 2 goalkeeper and they will tell you the same.

"You obviously play reserve games but it's not the same as playing in the Premier League. You can play 100 reserves games but when you step up to the first team there's such a massive difference in the pace and delivery of balls into the box.

"It's hard to go into a Premier League game and be on top of things. But that's part of the job when you're a No. 2 keeper. You have to be ready and just try to do your best when a chance comes along.

"Villa have taken Scotty on loan and I would imagine it's in his contract that he should be in the team whenever possible. When I get a chance to play, I just do my best and then see what happens.

"I never seem to have had that bit of luck you need as a goalkeeper. When Thomas Sorensen was injured at the start of the season I thought 'I'm going to get a chance now' and I felt I did pretty well in the friendlies.

"But the manager decided to bring a goalkeeper in on loan and that was the end of that. There's not a lot you can do in those circumstances, except stick in there and keep plugging away."

Taylor's latest senior action saw him stand in at Anfield, where he couldn't be faulted with either Liverpool goal in a 2-2 draw as he maintained his impressive record in the red corner of Merseyside.

His previous Anfield appearance had been in 2001-02 - when Arsenal won 2-1 on their way to the title.

"It's always nice to play up there," he said. "There atmosphere is always good. You know it's always going to be difficult because their fans really get behind them, but that can help to raise your own game as well.

"I was happy with the way things went against Liverpool and I know the manager was happy with a point.

"A few of the lads were upset to have been 2-1 up with only a couple of minutes to go and then have to settle for a draw. They felt we could have held out and taken all three points. But that could be a very important result come the end of the season.

"If we carry on the way we're going, and keep picking up points, we have a great chance of getting into Europe. To nick a point at a ground like Anfield was a real boost."

Former Villa man Peter Crouch was the man who denied Taylor a second famous Anfield victory, although the towering striker's 88^th minute equaliser was something of a mis-hit.

"I wanted Peter Crouch to catch it well and whack it because I might have had more chance of saving it," says Taylor. "But the ball looped over me and into the net. It was just one of those things."

Without doubt, the most frustrating period of Taylor's Villa career was when he deputised for the injured Sorensen last winter and looked assured of a lengthy spell in the team, only to suffer an injury of his own.

"It was very annoying," he says. "I played in a few games after Thomas was injured and started to feel really good. But in the last 10 minutes at Sheffield United I kicked the ball out and my medial knee ligament went.

"I was very frustrated by that because if I'd had a good run in the team at that stage, maybe the manager would have stuck with me. But you can't look back at things like that. All I can do is be patient and wait for another chance."