'Calm' Scotland starlet hailed after penalty drama helps to heal Hampden wounds
The Scotland international put his Hampden nightmare behind him at the weekend
Scotland international goalkeeper Cieran Slicker has been told he has a “bright future” in the game after he helped ease the pain of his Hampden nightmare in the summer with a dramatic double penalty save for new club Barnet in their 2-1 win over Crewe Alexandra at the weekend.
The 23-year-old endured a nightmare start to his Tartan Army career in June, when he was thrust into an unexpected international debut against Iceland at Hampden Park, replacing the injured Angus Gunn after just seven minutes. With experienced back-up goalkeeper Robby McCrorie picking up a thigh strain in the warm-up, Slicker was handed his Scotland bow by Steve Clarke, but was partly at fault for all three goals as Scotland lost 3-1 at Hampden.
While he was a regular at under-21 level, Clarke admitted the young stopper “wasn’t quite ready” for his senior debut, having played just nine minutes of first-team football the previous season for Ipswich Town. He was subsequently left on the bench for the 4-0 win over Liechtenstein just four days later, and was not included in the squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Belarus.
With his first team opportunities limited at Portman Road, the young goalkeeper opted to move to EFL League Two outfit Barnet in the summer, agreeing a season-long loan deal at The Hive. Upon his arrival, he was told to “concentrate on what he is good at” by Barnet manager Dean Brennan, who backed him to make a big impact at the fourth-tier club.
Starting all seven of the club’s opening league fixtures, keeping two clean sheets in the process, Slicker kept his best performance for the weekend win over Crewe at Gresty Road. Playing a crucial role in the victory, he made two superb penalty saves to ensure the Bees returned to London with all three points.
His first save was an excellent block down his right, his second penalty save saw his outstretched leg tip the ball onto the underside of the crossbar, before it was hacked away by the Barnet defence. Hailed for his impact since his arrival by head coach Brennan, the Barnet boss was full of praise for the Scotland goalkeeper following the game.
“A dramatic game,” said Brennan. “A special mention to Slicks. They were unbelievable saves, weren't they? The second one shouldn't have been a penalty; it's a dive, but it is what it is. You know what I love about Slicks? He's a really calming influence. He's a great kid; he's really calm inside his own head.
“He's been brilliant for us since he joined the football club. Both of those saves, he's read the first one, and the second one is a save with his feet, so I just like his personality, how he is, he's level headed, and he's got a great brain. He's got a bright future in the game.”
“The first one, I sort of got a gauge on where he was going,” added Slicker. “Credit to the staff behind the scenes doing their work. We sort of watched and were told where he was going to go. The second one, I didn't know where the ball was. If you watch the video, I did a little twirl.
“I've heard it hit the crossbar, then Tavs [Nikola Tavares] has done amazing to put his body on the line, and clear it. But once the ball is out of play, it's just carnage. I don't really remember it to be honest. It was a great feeling. It comes from the hard work we put in, the work during the week. I am buzzing with the two saves, helping the team get a win.”
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