More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Scott Rendell can’t wait to take another penalty for Maidstone.
The former Football League striker capped a superb display against Concord on Saturday by adding the fifth goal in United’s 6-0 victory.
But those missed penalties, against Wimborne in the FA Cup and Chelmsford in the league, have been playing on his mind and he needs to get them out of his system.
The only way to do that is to score the next one and the big striker confirmed he remains Maidstone’s penalty-taker.
“I’m absolutely still up for taking them,” said Rendell, a two-time National League golden boot winner with Woking.
“You should never miss a penalty, and that’s how I’ve looked at it all through my career.
“In 18 years I’ve missed two and now I’ve missed two in a couple of weeks, but we’ve had a chat and nothing will deter me from taking them.
“I’ve worked at it, I’ll get back on it and I can’t wait for the next one to come up because I want to score it and put the record straight.
“It hurt me a lot at Chelmsford because we lost the game and it meant something to me, and it hurt me double at Wimborne because we got knocked out of the FA Cup.
“Until we get the next one and I put it away, it’s still going to hurt because you linger on your last penalty.
“My confidence hasn’t gone with penalties - and it never will.”
Rendell produced arguably his best display for Maidstone against Concord.
He won everything in the air, held the ball up and brought others into play - qualities you need from your lone frontman.
He’d seen the three behind him - Justin Amaluzor, George Porter and Juan Luque - score and was determined to join the party.
Manager Hakan Hayrettin said no one deserved a goal more, after the big striker scored his second of the season.
“It’s a relief to get that goal,” said Rendell. “You look around and Justin’s scored, George has scored and Luque’s scored.
“Coming off the penalty miss last week you just want a goal, any goal, and that’s the type of goal I’ve been waiting for.
“It barely crossed the line but hopefully that one kicks me on and I can keep it going.
“It was 4-0 at the time and, without sounding selfish, it was like, 'I need to score this goal now’.
“If you believe and you keep getting in the right areas, it’s going to come.
“It was a great team performance from front to back, including Ravan Constable making that massive save at 1-0.
“The boys have kept on it and we’ve killed the game off. That second half was an absolute pleasure to play in.
“We’ve created chances all season and with the way we’re playing and the confidence we have, I can see results likes this happening a lot more if we apply ourselves the right way every week.”
Rendell was one of Hayrettin’s top targets in the summer.
Having worked with him at Luton, he knew exactly what the former Peterborough and Wycombe man would bring to the table.
He felt his all-round game would be perfect up top in his preferred 4-2-3-1 system, and the 34-year-old is a key man.
“When you play the formation we do, I’m that focal point,” said Rendell.
“If I don’t play well, if I don’t hold it up, if I don’t win my headers, then at times the three behind me might as well not be there.
“That’s then taken four players out of the team, so it’s a massive part of my game.
“I take pride in the way I try to bring others into play because I’ve done it for a number of years.
“If I do my little bit to help Justin, George or Luque, then brilliant, because we’ll get results."
