Goalkeeper blunders led to a draw

‘IT wasn’t a day for goalkeepers!’ Millwall boss Neil Harris’ verdict on his side’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in November was something of an understatement.

In fact, the four goals scored that day should have seen both goalkeepers involved hit with a disrepute charge.

The two Identikit free-kicks conceded by Robbin Ruiter, just four minutes apart, were enough to convince incoming manager Chris Coleman that he needed to bring in a new keeper even before he had officially taken up his post.

And if Ruiter’s opposite number Jordan Archer had not been similarly generous, Sunderland would have ended up on the end of yet another defeat.

Archer had set the tone, patting a Bryan Oviedo corner straight to Lewis Grabban who could hardly believe his luck as he took a touch and finished from close range.

However that lead was soon turned around when Lions midfielder George Saville’s weak set-piece cleared the wall but was straight at Ruiter, who somehow allowed the ball to squirm out of his grasp and through his legs over the line.

And then Ruiter was again found wanting from another Saville freekick from a similar position, this time palming the ball into the net.

Thankfully, Archer did Ruiter a favour in the second half, failing to catch Adam Matthews’ cross and instead flapped it into his own goal.

Sunderland goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker and his Millwall counterpart Kevin Pressman could only look on aghast.

Millwall have kept faith with Archer, but Ruiter lost his place to January loan signing Lee Camp before the Dutchman suffered a dislocated finger last month which means he will not even be on the bench at The Den.

Instead Jason Steele – who had lost his place to Ruiter after a string of unconvincing displays earlier in the season – will be Camp’s deputy.

But at the end of the season Coleman will want to find a longterm solution to what has this season become a problem position.

Camp is due to return to Cardiff this summer, while the Black Cats were prepared to let Steele join Derby in January until a loan with a view to a permanent deal fell through at the last minute, and Ruiter has also failed to make the grade since his arrival as a free agent last August.

Young Poland Under 21 international Max Stryjek has shown a great deal of potential, as does ex-Ireland U19 stopper James Talbot. But, one way or another, the Black Cats are likely to be bedding in another goalkeeper come August.