SCHWARZER JNR SAVES DRAGONS
Julian is spot-kick hero like his dad
NEW Basingstoke Town goalkeeper Julian Schwarzer is a chip off the old block when it comes to making crucial penalty shoot-out saves in legendary cup competitions.
Schwarzer, 20, marked his competitive bow for the Southern League Division One South side with a splendid stop in the dramatic victory against Bournemouth FC in the FA Cup.
By a remarkable coincidence, his dad Mark, was the same age when he came off the bench to make his interna tional debut for Australia. It was a test of nerve as well with Canada the opponents in a 1994 World Cup play-off. But he became an instant hero with a couple of superb saves in the penalty shoot-out and they advanced to the next stage.
Pedigree
Mark went on to enjoy a long and successful top-flight career between the posts in England and win a record 109 caps for Australia.
And according to Basingstoke manager Dan Brownlie, Julian, who was mobbed by team-mates at the end of the cup clash, has the skill-set to carve out a future in the game.
Brownlie, whose side triumphed 5-4 on penalties after they had finished 1-1 in normal time, told The NLP: “Julian is a modern goalkeeper, who is still learning his trade. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and can pick a long-distance pass. He is also a good shot-stopper and he has the ability to deal with crosses.
“Julian was at Fulham, where he still trains some days, so he has a hell of a pedigree. He has real ambition to make it in game.
“He came up trumps in the shoot-out, it was a good save.
“I was delighted there were more candidates to take one than there were penalties.”
Basingstoke have been handed a home tie against Chichester City in the preliminary round on Saturday and Brownlie, nearly a year into the job, added: “It has been good to have a pre-season and build a squad in my image.
“We may not have the biggest budget but we have players who have already shown that they will work for each other and that is
vital.”