O'Brien disappointed with penalty loss
There cannot be too many occasions when a goalkeeper saves three penalties in a shoot-out and still ends up feeling flat.
But that was the case for Liam O’Brien following Pompey’s Checkatrade Trophy clash with a Reading under-23 outfit at Fratton Park.
The sides took a point each following a 2-2 draw, with the hosts battling from behind thanks to a Curtis Main double.
Competition rules meant a bonus one was on offer, however, and O’Brien made three excellent stops in succession.
But the Blues also struggled to find the net and ended up losing 4-3 to remain bottom of the Southern Group A table.
“If you save three you’re usually the hero,” O’Brien explained. “Unfortunately that wasn’t the case on this occasion.
“I’d rather take the win in 90 minutes, but I’m sure most keepers would say they enjoy penalties because you’ve got nothing to lose.
“The last shoot-out I was involved was for Dagenham against Brentford following a 6-6 draw and I didn’t get near one of them!
“I came in at half-time having not had much to do, so it was frustrating to be a goal behind.
“But the lads did brilliantly to fight back and we scored two good goals – on another day we would have gone on to win from there.”
O’Brien was given a rare chance to impress between the sticks for Pompey and knows he has to be prepared.
He said: “I’m having a great time and am working as hard as I can to be ready if anything happens to David Forde.
“If and when the time comes, I want to be able to show people what I can do and that I’ve improved since I was here as a youngster.”