Sheffield United penalty hero Wes Foderingham indebted to mentor Matt Duke

It rings true in the case of Sheffield United’s Wes Foderingham, who is quick to pay tribute to the impact of Sheffield United goalkeeping coach Matt Duke in his own rise to prominence again.

Foderingham took the plaudits after guessing right to keep out a penalty from Blackburn Rovers’ forward Reda Khadra in Wednesday’s dramatic Championship game with promotion rivals Blackburn at Bramall Lane.

The Blades, down to ten men following the dismissal of Charlie Goode, dug in and achieved a famous victory, thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Ben Davies, who shared the accolades with Foderingham.

That said, one-time Bradford City favourite Duke did play a helping hand.

Foderingham, who kept his fifth successive clean sheet in the process and seventh on the spin on home soil, said: “In recent games, I’ve not had much to do. A penalty comes up and I am glad to do my part and make a save.

“You do your homework and have a look at the penalty taker before the game, unfortunately he was not on the list. It is one of those things. But Dukey gave me a little bit of a signal and you pick a side and go and hope it is in and around you. I managed to get my left hand up and claw it away.”

It was a night when Foderingham was protected well and did not have too much to do, but when he was called into action, he stepped up to the plate to highlight the value of concentration.

He added: “You have a lot to do and sometimes you don’t. It’s about keeping concentrated and focused and doing the basics right.

“The big moments are what separates the good goalies from the top goalies. I am not saying I am a top goalie, but big saves can change the course of the game and I showed I can do that.”