Stryjek ‘knew’ he would stop Giakoumakis
LIVINGSTON goalkeeper Max Stryjek has revealed that he knew he was going to save Georgios Giakoumakis’s injury-time penalty kick in against Celtic on Saturday.
Greek striker Giakoumakis had the chance to clinch victory for Ange Postecoglou’s team at the death when referee Bobby Madden ruled that Ayo Obileye had struck the back of Kyogo Furuhashi’s head.
However, the £2.5 million summer signing struck his attempt from 12 yards poorly and Polish player Stryjek denied him to earn the visitors a 0-0 draw and a point.
The 25-year-old was hardly tested during the course of the 90 minutes and admitted that he had been confident he would be able to thwart his rival.
“I didn’t know what happened because the incident took place behind me,” he said. “I’d caught the ball and I heard him [Madden] blow the whistle. I thought he’d given a foul for me catching someone as I caught the ball.
“I didn’t know that Ayo had hit him in the head, but when I saw the red card someone said that’s what had happened. It all happened very quickly and then I was having to face the penalty.
“To be fair, I felt confident. I just felt something inside myself and I knew I was going to save it. I don’t know why.
“We analysed all their penalty takers, but it is really hard to get it right because he can just go and put it in the other side and it is usually a goal. I just had a feeling he would put it to my right hand side and I saved it.”
Stryjek added: “The defence was brilliant. I think Celtic only had one shot on target apart from the penalty, so we did well in general and defended our box really well. We did ever so well to get a point and I think we deserved it.
“The credit goes to my defenders and all the team as well. They [Celtic] have barely had a shot on target in both of our games against them.
“I think we have played really well. Defensively, we have done everything we’ve been asked to do. They have been two really good
performances against Celtic, so fair play to the whole team.”
Stryjek revealed that he had attended Celtic’s match against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League last month and had been looking forward to playing in a game at Parkhead.
The former Sunderland youth was unaware the home fans were staging a silent protest in the opening half-anhour to show their displeasure against the potential appointment of Police Scotland assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins to a senior security role.
But he felt that Livingston kept the supporters quiet with their battling display after it had finished.
“The atmosphere at the Leverkusen match was unbelievable,” he said. “It was so loud. I was thinking: ‘I would love to play here’. When I got here I was thinking it was going to be really hard with 60,000 shouting and singing.
“But for the first 30 minutes I realised there was no singing and it was very quiet. I didn’t know why, but then I heard later there was a protest.
“It was a bit weird, but then it all started getting very loud after 30 minutes and it was great. I really enjoyed it. We play football for days like these.
“How can you not enjoy playing in a beautiful stadium with 60,000 people watching you play. What can be better for a footballer? But keeping their fans quiet is part of football.”