Chris Martin: I'm glad to redeem penalty miss and get the winner

 

Tuesday's Sky Bet League One match against Cambridge United included a self-contained redemption arc for Chris Martin

The striker, having missed a penalty in the first-half at The Memorial Stadium for Bristol Rovers, was desperate to find the net to make up for his saved effort from 12 yards. 

That moment would come on 87 minutes when the No18 was in the right place to confidently stroke in Luke Thomas' well-placed cross, earning all three points for the hosts. 

"It's been a while since I scored," Martin said. "It's been a bit of a frustating time on a personal level, especially after taking probably one of the worst penalties I've ever taken. I needed to redeem myself and try to get the win for the boys. I'm happy the chance fell my way at the end of the game and it's nice to get another three points."

Ever honest, Martin admitted his failure to score from the penalty spot was down to his own effort moreso than any outstanding goalkeeping.

"The goalkeeper didn't have too much to do to save it. It was a bit of a mis-kick, to be honest, and I didn't get a good contact on it. I probably need to practice a bit more! I haven't been on them for a while so maybe it's something I need to look at. I'm just disappointed with the manner in which I missed it. But what I will say is they're not as easy as they look."

Martin would not be denied his finish though and found the net for the 16th time this season late on, securing all three points. 

Offering insight into the play behind the finish, he added. "It was great build-up for the goal. There were a few times in the match where Cambridge tried to keep a high line so I tried to stay offside a bit.

"Some people might look at that and think I'm being lazy but, if the ball goes wide and I'm a little bit offside , then I can have a headstart on the defenders running back. That was the case when we scored.

"I had run into the six yard box and Luke has put it on a plate for me really. It's difficult to miss from there. To see the net bulge was a nice feeling again." 

Check out Chris Martin's full post-match comments in the video player above.

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