So, let’s time-travel forward to a little after 10pm tonight. Wycombe have ground out another creditable 0-0 draw, quieting The Valley and taking Charlton to penalties. Who takes them and what chance do we have?
I watched Orient win their way to Wembley last night because they’d clearly prepared for penalties and won the battle of nerves. The Stockport lad with the mazy run-up never looked like scoring and to give the vital 4th pen to a guy who’d previously missed in a play-off final at Wembley seemed a bit of a cruel joke. Orient players looked like they believed they would score, and they did.
Penalties have been a bit of an Achilles’ heel for Wycombe this season, missing five of the 12 awarded. The much-missed-Morley scored his only one as did Kieran Sadlier. But Kone has missed two of the six he’s taken and Leahy a staggering three from the four times he’s stepped up. After 120 minutes tonight, I’m wondering would Kone even be on the pitch - and who our first five would be? Surely Grimmer, Udoh and Kone if they’re there, and Sadlier. Would you trust Leahy (remember Stockport the other week)? And who else should step up and would be likely to score? Humphreys? Bradley?
Stockport treated last night’s penalties as a lottery. Orient appeared to have a plan. No doubt Dodds has been putting his combinations through their penalty paces - who would you appoint as our famous five and how would you ensure they’re all on the pitch at the right time?
Well if they are still able to walk after the 120 minutes, I think our takers will be:
Kone
Leahy
McCleary
Udoh
Reach or Westergaard
The 5th Penalty is the wildcard but as they haven’t scored for us yet (or had many shots) there will be very little statical analysis on where they will put their penalties. You notice that last night, Keeley was given a bottle with all of the likely places the opposition will shoot (like Pickford does)
Last night the Stockport keeper stood a yard behind the line, as he did against us, and moved forward before the ball was kicked. This was for the first two penalties, after which he stood on the line so losing the opportunity to move forward. I wonder if one of the officials noted this and made stand on the line, as stated in the law, for the final kicks.
If it goes to penalties I hope they’re done in line with the law as it stands.
I noticed this when watching it too but I doubt the officials would have said anything.
More & more keepers are doing it to stop them from being off their line and forcing a retake.
His tactic seemed to stop when his team mates missed their kicks and he went for broke, if they caught him off his line, so be it
The ball must be stationary, with part of the ball touching or overhanging the centre on the penalty mark, and the goalposts, crossbar and goal net must not be moving.
The player taking the penalty kick must be clearly identified.
The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the goalposts until the ball is kicked. The goalkeeper must not behave
in a way that unfairly distracts the kicker, e.g. delay the taking of the kick or touch the goalposts, crossbar or goal net.
The law clearly states keeper must remain on goal line, so I’d expect officials to enforce it or at least a retake if the penalty is saved.