Blues keeper Tomas Holy has revealed he’s no fan of penalties despite making a vital stop from Joe Jacobson’s spotkick in the 87th minute of last night’s 0-0 draw with Wycombe Wanderers at Portman Road. The 27-year-old says he doesn’t practice penalties in training with Tuesday’s save only his second or third ever.
Holy was frustrated that the Blues dropped two points given the work his team-mates had put in over the 90 minutes and felt the performance warranted the victory.
"It’s disappointing because we have dropped two points, especially at home but it’s a ‘positive disappointment’ because the boys worked hard as hell, they left absolutely everything on the pitch,” he said.
"In my opinion we deserved more than just the one point from this game but we couldn’t give more in this game.
"It’s disappointing because we lost two points but the boys played really well and I am really proud of them.
"We just have to take positive things from this game and transplant them into another game. That’s what we have to do.”
Among those positives is that the Blues are still sitting in second in the League One table, five points behind the Chairboys but with two games in hand.
"That’s why there is no point in being disappointed,” the Czech added. "There’s still more than half the season still to play, too many games still coming up. A lot of points still in play.
"There is no reason to be disappointed that we dropped two points at home, we have many, many points still in play and two games in hand, five points is the gap, four points down to third. We can still handle it.”
Was his recall to the side on Tuesday a surprise with Will Norris having started the previous three league matches? "It’s always like a surprise for everyone because we don’t know the starting XI until the pre-game meeting.
"But absolutely nothing changed for any of us because if we want to get back in the Championship the gaffer needs 18 or 20 ready players, not just 12 or 13, so everyone must be ready, everyone has to have minutes on the pitch.
"Anything can happen in football, illness, injury, whatever and the next one must be ready. Me and Will we support each other. Whoever plays it doesn’t matter, we just both need to be ready and leave absolutely everything out on the pitch.”
Norris having kept out a crucial penalty in the FA Cup tie against Lincoln Holy matched him with his save from the spot last night.
"Of course I am very happy because the boys worked so hard and if he scored at this time it would have been so difficult to get back in the game,” he reflected.
"I am very glad because the people in the stands made an absolutely incredible atmosphere. It’s an emotional thing.
"But one difference between the two penalties - Will knew what he was doing. Basically I didn’t know! It was instinct/gambling. But I think both penalty saves were very important.”
Asked why he doesn’t research penalties with Jacobson Wycombe’s regular taker, he added: "To be fair, I’m not a penalty type. That was my second or maybe third penalty save in my life. That’s another reason I’m so happy with that.
"To be fair, it was quite a good save, but I have no idea how I did it! But it still counts. I kept it out.”
He says he stays away from penalties at Playford Road: "I always stay out of the penalties on the training ground. I hate it! Always when someone wants [to take them it’s] ‘Tomas, Tomas, come on penalty’, I say ‘No, will never happen, I’m out’.
"Why? Like I say, I’m not a penalty type of goalkeeper. I really don’t like it. I don’t like penalties. That’s what I do, I don’t like them.
"[Tuesday’s save] wasn’t too bad but I don’t know care how it looked, the main thing was that it was kept out of the goal, that’s the main thing because it was the worst time for a penalty kick.”
Quizzed on his celebration, he said:"That was an emotional thing because the fans made the emotional atmosphere so it just naturally came out of me. I didn’t know what I was doing it was just a natural thing that came out of me.”
Holy says fellow keeper Norris was the first to shake his hand after the match: "Yes, the same as I am the first person to congratulate him because, like I said, we support each other and that’s the main thing, just to keep this chemistry between every one of us, especially between goalkeepers.
"Nothing changes for any of us because another game Will will play and I will support him as well. In my opinion that’s the main thing.”
The 6ft 9in tall keeper says he hopes the pair of them are making it difficult for manager Paul Lambert to make his selection.
"I think it’s nicely difficult for the gaffer because, if I can say that, whoever he picks for the game I don't think he makes a mistake,” he said.
"I want to try to be humble but we both work really hard on the training ground, we both want to play and we both want to leave absolutely everything on the pitch. I think that’s most important for the gaffer and whoever he picks, he picks well.
"Are we good goalkeepers? I never say that but, of course, I try to work hard to be a good goalkeeper.”
Holy says he and Norris have no idea which of them will get the nod for the FA Cup tie at Coventry on Sunday.
"No, I don’t. We will know that straight before the game, on Sunday at the pre-game meeting,” he said.
"It wasn’t like that before but since the two defeats [at Accrington and at home to Rotherham], the gaffer has kept us excited and, to be honest, it’s not actually too bad because we both now have no idea who is going to play and it keeps us working hard on the training ground and both ready.”