Why are so many penalties missed these days?

Back in Franny Lee’s day, it seemed 90 per cent of spot-kicks were converted.

Last Saturday, though, when Jack Midson smashed his penalty against the right-hand post in the 1-0 FA Trophy win over Hayes & Yeading, that was the fourth time this season that a U’s striker had missed from 12 yards.

Ryan Clarke and Billy Turley before him have had fantastic records in saving penalties for Oxford.

But it’s not just in the Conference it’s happening . . . there were four missed in the Premier League on Match of the Day two weeks ago.

Midson felt there wasn’t too much wrong with the way he struck his penalty at the Kassam Stadium last weekend – it was just inches too far to the right.

“You could argue that the keepers have got better. But you’re expecting to hit the target, which I did, it was just the wrong side of the post,” said the former Histon hitman.

“It was disappointing to miss it. I always keep my standards high and I’ve hit it too well, I think.

“The gaffer said on the Friday that I was on penalties. I was happy with that, took a few in training and put them in the corner, and I just tried to do the same thing there – just tuck it in the corner.

“I sent the keeper the wrong way, it’s one of those that could trickle in the corner, unfortunately it hit the post and come back out.”

He added: “I think if you’re taking them week in, week out and you’re confident enough to hit the corner, you should try to do that.

“I stepped up and was feeling really confident of putting it away, like I did before with the last one that end.

“I was expecting it to hit the back of the net, and, if anything, I’ve hit it too well and hit it against the post.”

But at least, Midson had already found the target, with a fine goal, set up by man-of-the-match Simon Clist.

“It was a lovely run by Clisty, he made that extra run in behind – and we’re always encouraged in training by Mickey Lewis, the coach, and the gaffer to make that near-post run if there’s no-one in the box.

“Clisty put a nice ball onto my head and I think that’s the first time I’ve scored that end.”