Grecians take Jay off spot kick duty

EXETER City skipper Matt Jay is to be taken off penalty taking duty after missing his third spot kick of the season.

The 25-year-old had become the Grecians main man from 12 yards with his cool technique last season, scoring four times.

But his miss in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Walsall was the third in four he has missed this season, and boss Matt Taylor feels he has lost his confidence with goalkeepers working him out.

Jay saw a penalty saved at Leyton Orient when his rolled effort didn’t fool the goalkeeper, and while he scored against Chelsea in the EFL Trophy, saw his effort in the shoot-out saved, before smashing against the crossbar on Saturday.

“It looks like he has lost his confidence in terms of penalties so as a staff we have to change that,” Taylor said. “He won’t take one unless needed to. We have Jevani (Brown) and Sam (Nombe) as other penalty takers as it is three now he has missed. We trust MJ and he had a fantastic technique but keepers worked it out and he is searching for something else. MJ will be disappointed but it is an opportunity for someone else.”

The captain is Exeter’s top scorer this season with five goals, but was short of his best against Walsall, as were pretty much everyone else.

Before Jay’s miss, referee Peter Wright had pointed to the spot after a foul by Harry Kite which allowed Walsall to level. It was the second penalty Kite has conceded this season - although at Harrogate, when he was sent off for a second booking, the foul was outside the box. But Taylor said that the 21-year-old needs to learn to stay on his feet when in the box.

“It was a carbon copy of the one at Harrogate,” he said. “I speak about young players and that they have to learn on the job, and he has fantastic legs so doesn’t need to dive in, but it was part of that first half period where we weren’t good enough as a collective.”