Pompey boss: Doyle's still my man for penalties

Eoin Doyle saw his penalty against Crawley saved by keeper Glenn Morris Picture: Joe Pepler

That is the pledge from Paul Cook, despite the striker’s miss against Crawley.

Doyle’s spot-kick was saved by Glenn Morris on Tuesday night, although the Blues still went on to win 2-0.

It represented Pompey’s sixth penalty failure this season – becoming the fifth different player to do so.

Gary Roberts (twice), Michael Smith, Kal Naismith and Conor Chaplin have also missed this season.

But Cook will not remove the responsibility from Doyle.

He said: ‘Eoin will continue being our penalty-taker, without a shadow of a doubt.

‘I have never before seen him miss penalties, he has scored loads of penalties for me.

‘With the players given time off, I haven’t see him for a day or two, but he will be beating himself up badly because he expected to come here and get us over the line.

‘He is smashing in what he does, every player here will suffer from confidence and different stuff and he is no different.

‘I took penalties for Wolves and Coventry and was a side-footer and placer, but my dad used to go mad at me for not smashing it.

‘So why Eoin Doyle has side-footed it I don’t know. I have now joined my dad’s camp!’

The Blues have missed six of their 11 penalties this season. Only Roberts (four) and Curtis Main have been successful from the spot so far, while just one of the club’s past seven have been netted.

Last term Pompey struggled to win penalties.

So far they have received 11, with 11 League Two matches to play, this season.

And the Blues boss admitted taking spot-kicks was a standard part of training sessions, irrespective of the current dreadful run.

He added: ‘I don’t think lads should miss penalties – and we’ve missed six.

‘I don’t even think it’s pressure, with them.

‘Look at the penalty-takers. We’ve got Conor who can finish from anywhere, Roberts has a wand of a left foot, Naismith has a wand of a left foot and Eoin Doyle has been a natural goalscorer.

‘The lads do penalties, they always finish training with pens.

‘If there’s a game over at the end of training you do penalties, it’s what every club does. It’s something lads enjoy and is always a challenge with keepers.

‘Our lads enjoy taking penalties.’