Pochettino hails Boruc after last minute penalty save

10 March 2013 08:17

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed the 'massive' penalty save of Artur Boruc after the Poland goalkeeper earned his side a 0-0 draw at Norwich with a dramatic stop in added time.

Full-back Luke Shaw was ruled to have pushed over Grant Holt just inside the penalty area, as referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot after consulting with his assistant but Boruc produced a decent stop down to his right to secure a well-deserved share of the points for the visitors.

"Boruc made a massive save for us and saved us a point," Pochettino said. "I am happy overall with the team's performance because we regained our fighting spirit which we lost a bit against QPR."

He added: "Before the penalty was given we deserved to be leading the game, so my anger was double fold, that the penalty should not have happened and also we should have been ahead.

"The weather did not really favour us for the way we wanted to set-up to play. My team adapted really well to the conditions and also Norwich are a very hard team to play against on their own ground."

Canaries manager Chris Hughton preferred to extenuate the positives from Norwich's display.

He said: "I decided to go 4-4-2 today, which means you can perhaps be a bit more open, but I thought we had the better chances.

"We certainly should have been given a penalty in the first half when Shaw pulls back Grant Holt, so on balances we deserved one today.

"Grant has got himself ball side of the defender, and I think there is contact, so the referee has to make that decision, and he also has a linesman on that side.

"If we think that one was soft, the one in the first half wasn't. It was not a particularly bad penalty, and the lad has made a good save."

Source: PA