ADAM CLAYTON wants to remain Huddersfield Town’s penalty taker for the rest of the season.
The midfielder slotted his third goal of the campaign, and second from the spot, to seal the draw at Charlton.
The 23-year-old took up spot-kick duties during the 3-1 Championship win at Sheffield Wednesday in September.
Midfield colleague Oliver Norwood had a penalty saved earlier that game while striker James Vaughan was thwarted from the spot in the 2-2 draw at Ipswich earlier in the month.
Jordan Rhodes, now of course with Blackburn, began the season as Town’s taker, and scored one in the 1-1 home draw against Nottingham Forest in August.
“I’m quite happy to carry on taking them and hopefully we will be awarded a few more and I can get my goal tally up,” said Clayton, whose fifth caution of the season on Saturday means he must sit out tomorrow’s match at Middlesbrough before coming back into contention for Saturday’s big lunchtime derby against former club Leeds at the John Smith’s Stadium.
“I just looked closely at the keeper during the run-up, took a decision on which way he was going to go and put the ball the other way.
Click below to view a match action picture gallery from the game
“It was great to see it go in, because it had been a frustrating match after what we thought was a very harsh sending off for Keith Southern.
“It was tough playing so long (55 minutes) with 10 men away from home against a decent side, but we stuck to the plan and didn’t panic, even after they scored.
“We knew we had to stay in it until the last 10 minutes, then go for it, and we got the break we needed with the penalty award.”
Clayton’s fence-climbing goal celebration brought a rebuke from boss Simon Grayson, who felt the player needlessly risked a second yellow card.
“I got caught up in the moment,” explained the close-season recruit.
Click below to see Huddersfield Town fans celebrating Adam Clayton's late penalty goal
“We had great support (1,085 fans in a 20,012 crowd) and I knew they had paid a lot of money and travelled a long way to support us.
“We’re all in this together. We’ve come up a league, and if we are going to be successful, we really need them behind us.”
On his ban against Boro, Clayton accepted: “It’s frustrating, but if you are going to go into tackles, you are almost certain to be booked every now and then. I’ll try to make the most of the rest and force my way back in for Leeds.”
