Ryan's studying pays off with penalty save

Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan's studying paid off after a last minute penalty save in Brighton's 1-1 draw at Stoke on Saturday.
Mathew Ryan. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)Mathew Ryan. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)
Mathew Ryan. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)

Ryan dived to his right to keep out Charlie Adam’s 90th-minute penalty, before Lewis Dunk slid in to prevent Adam from scoring the rebound and Anthony Knockaert then cleared a Mame Diouf header off the line.

Albion's goalkeeper admitted he had studied Stoke’s penalty takers – and which way they tend to shoot – prior to the game and said: “In this day and age, we take advantage of technology and what’s on offer. We have a technical team that prepares everything to help us as players and us as a team to perform at our best.

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“We get a handful of players that will be the likely penalty takers, a few options and what not. You’ve just got to do your study but at the same time, I think it would be pretty naïve of other teams if they don’t realise you study it as well.

“You’ve just got to pick the moment where perhaps that player wants to go to his favoured side and you don’t think he’s going to change and you need that little bit of luck. Thankfully in that moment, I had that and was able to help the team out.

“We’ve got our goals to achieve this year in staying up and hopefully with this showing today, we’ll achieve that goal.

“I feel we’re in a good patch. If we can continue and keep going, hopefully we’ll keep winning and keep the momentum running.

“We just need to keep picking up points.”