After narrow wins over Wigan and Bolton helped us close the gap on pacesetters Liverpool, Cech’s total, comprising 1,025 minutes, was surpassed at West Brom as an injury-hit Reds just continued on our relentless way.
Steve Death’s 1,104-minute sequence for Reading was then overtaken as Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty settled a tight contest with Everton, before game no.13, at West Ham, saw Bobby Clark’s British milestone of 1,155 minutes beaten.
Argentine stopper Jose Maria Buljubasich’s total of 1,289 minutes was another domino to fall, following the Cottagers’ failure to register in M16.
Buljubasich, a journeyman keeper thought to have set the previous single-season world record while playing for Universidad Catolica in 2005, was passed as the former Ajax man pushed his streak towards an incredible 22 hours.