Cleverley backs Tolaj after crucial penalty miss

BUT FORM AT HOME PARK WORRY FOR HEAD COACH

- By CHRIS ERRINGTON

A dejected Lorent Tolaj after his penalty effort was saved

LORENT Tolaj received the unequivocal backing of head coach Tom Cleverley after he had a miscued penalty saved during Plymouth Argyle’s 4-1 Boxing Day defeat by Reading at Home Park.

Argyle’s 13-goal top scorer had an excellent chance to add to his tally for the season after a foul on Bali Mumba in the 71st minute.

It came at a time when the Pilgrims, who had been down to 10 players since the 12th minute dismissal of Joe Ralls, were threatening to make an unlikely comeback after substitute Xavier Amaechi cut Reading's lead to 3-1 only a few moments earlier.

Had Tolaj converted the spot kick, Argyle would have trailed by one goal with plenty of time to try to get an equaliser, but his weakly-struck effort was saved by Joel Pereira.

Tolaj scored with a ‘Panenka’ penalty - a gentle chip towards the centre of the goal - in the 1-1 draw at home to Wigan Athletic in early October, but Cleverley said: “He wasn't trying to do that.

“Tolly always practises penalties the day before a game so I know exactly the technique. It's more of a curled finish down the middle of the goal and he has just contacted it wrong.