Neil Lennon gave Stevie Woods a special mention as he reflected on Fraser Forster’s terrific penalty save that earned Celtic a draw in Copenhagen last night.
Englishman Forster is so often the hero for us on the European stage, and that was the case once again as he tipped Jens Stage’s 79th minute spot-kick onto the post.
And Lennon was, unsurprisingly, delighted with the keeper’s contribution as he spoke to Celtic TV following the 1-1 draw.
“He and Stevie Woods do a huge amount of diligent work on that,” Lennon said.
“It was a big moment in the tie and thankfully he’s pulled off another brilliant save.
“He’s done that many times before and I’m sure he’ll do it again.”
Lennon is right to single out Woods and Forster
It’s getting to the stage where you’re more confident of Forster saving a penalty than you are nervous of the opposition scoring.
You always feel we’ve got a second chance after conceding a foul inside the box, with Forster so often able to bail us out on the big occasions.
It’s great to hear that he and Woods practice saving penalties so often.
So many people reckon that spot-kicks are a lottery, both in an attacking and defensive sense.
But the truth is that, just like practicing taking them is a thing, so is saving them.
You’d never wish for the drama of a penalty shoot-out. But with Forster as our keeper, one seems a little less daunting than it did before.
Is Fraser Forster the best penalty saver you’ve ever seen at Celtic? Comment below and join the discussion on our brand new fans forum…
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
