AliousRégis Le Bris, the head coach of Sunderland, has shared his candid thoughts on Luke O’Nien’s failure to convert a penalty during their match against Millwall.
The Black Cats faced off against Millwall in a Championship clash at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, marking their return to action after a two-week break due to international fixtures.
Le Bris’ team entered the game on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Coventry in their previous outing, which followed a 1-1 stalemate with Preston at home.
Sunderland took the lead in the first half through Trai Hume, who scored after a smartly executed set piece involving Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle.
That goal proved to be the decisive moment, securing a much-needed victory for the Wearsiders and ending a two-game winless streak in the league.
However, an opportunity to extend their advantage arose in the second half when Mundle was fouled in the penalty area, earning Sunderland a spot-kick.
Unexpectedly, club captain and defender Luke O’Nien, aged 30, took responsibility for the penalty, despite his prior perfect record being limited to shoot-outs.
His attempt was thwarted by the Millwall goalkeeper, marking his first miss from the spot in a match situation.
There was noticeable confusion among the Sunderland players over who should take the penalty, with Mundle appearing frustrated by the decision to let O’Nien step up.
The forward, who was about to be substituted when the penalty was awarded, was replaced by Tommy Watson shortly after the miss.
Sunderland’s struggles from 12 yards continued, as this was their fourth consecutive penalty failure. Earlier in the season, Wilson Isidor squandered two penalties in a single game against Burnley at Turf Moor, while Patrick Roberts also missed against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
When pressed on Sunderland’s recurring penalty woes, Le Bris admitted it’s a significant concern. “What can I say? It’s clearly an issue,” he remarked.
“From an expected goals standpoint, a penalty is the best scoring opportunity we can get, yet we’re struggling badly with them right now.
It’s a critical matter for us, both moving forward and in the present. A second goal would’ve made the closing stages of this match far more comfortable, but that didn’t happen.”
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