Scott Tanser throws hat into ring for St Mirren penalties after another miss

Scott Tanser threw his hat into the ring for penalty duties at St Mirren after another spot-kick miss cost the Buddies a point at home to Dundee United in the Premiership on Saturday.

The visitors were leading through a stunning 88th-minute overhead-kick opener by substitute Louis Moult but the home side were handed a lifeline in added time when substitute Toyosi Olusanya was tripped inside the box by defender Kevin Holt.

However, United goalkeeper Jack Walton saved Olusanya’s resulting penalty – with Holt completing a clearance – as, once again, Stephen Robinson’s side failed from 12 yards.

Mark O’Hara, twice, Greg Kiltie and Olusanya have all missed from the spot this season – O’Hara’s effort was retaken against St Johnstone and Roland Idowu’s scored the second time around.

Full-back Tanser, 30, said: “I put myself forward when I was at St Johnstone where I took penalties and so I’m happy to step forward on that aspect if I’m called upon.

“I back myself and I’m confident. But at the end of the day it’s a team decision and we’ll reassess and see who takes the next one.

“I’ve not (asked) but if I get asked, I’ll certainly be first to put myself forward.

“It’s whoever feels confident. Obviously people have missed – Mark’s (O’Hara) missed, Kilts (Greg Kiltie) missed. They are confident penalty takers.

“Toyosi was confident enough to take it, he did, he’s missed and there’s nothing else to say about it.

“People practice penalties. You can hit so many penalties on the training pitch but, when it comes to the game, there is the added pressure that you have to score.

“Sometimes it goes either way. Their keeper has pulled off a good save and they’ve reacted quickest to put the ball out of play.

“Toyosi has done really well to win the penalty and he felt confident that he was going to score.

“Everyone misses penalties. It’s a part of the game and we just move on.”

St Mirren dropped to seventh in the table with a fourth-successive defeat – and a fourth-successive loss to United this season.

However, Tanser is confident that Saints will respond.

The former Rochdale and Port Vale player added: “We’ve got plenty of experience in that changing room; people who know the league and who have been in relegation battles and pushing for the top six.

“We’ve got everything that we need to be pushing up. Ideally, we need a win but we need to be more clinical to get that win.

“But as soon as we get it, we’ll start pushing up the table again. You can see that it is so tight and I think it’s the tightest it has been since I’ve been in Scotland.

“It’s going to be an interesting end to the season.

“We felt the performance was good (against United). We had plenty of shots, plenty of chances but we need to be more clinical.”