Keeper Etheridge saves day for Cardiff

MANILA, Philippines — Pinoy keeper Neil Etheridge secured a 0-0 draw for Cardiff City against the 10-man Newcastle for the Bluebirds’ first point in the Premier League Saturday at Cardiff Stadium.

Etheridge, the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to play in the English top-flight, stopped Robert Kenedy’s spot kick at the death to not only keep his first clean sheet but also enable Cardiff to split the spoils with the Magpies and bounce back from their 0-2 loss to Bournemouth on opening weekend.

The Azkals No. 1 earned the distinction of being the first shot-stopper to save a penalty in two consecutive games within a single season since Thomas Sorensen in 2009.

“We could have won it, but with a penalty in the last minute I will take a point and be happy to move onto next week,” Etheridge said in an interview with Sky Sports after the match.

Etheridge replicated his penalty save from historic debut in the previous outing, where he sensationally foiled Callum Wilson’s kick from the spot in the 34th minute. But unlike last time when they yielded two goals and took a loss, the Filipino’s thwarting of the Brazilian Kenedy at the 96th minute ensured the point for the Bluebirds.

“We don’t want that (giving up and saving a penaly) to become a regular occurrence, but we deserved at least a point. We knew we would have a chance at home and needed to get points on the board,” he said. “It is not easy to step up in the 90th minute and take a penalty, but today I came out victorious.”