Cameron Dawson’s remarkable Sheffield Wednesday penalty record unpacked
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Even with the one he didn’t stop, against Burton Albion in the Papa John’s Trophy, he went the right way – and if the penalty wasn’t so well-taken then he probably would have got to that one as well.
But Wednesday’s shot-stopper isn’t just having a good season when it comes to spot kicks. His career record is genuinely remarkable.
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Hide AdIn total, not including shootouts, ‘Daws’ has faced 19 penalties in his time – nine of them haven’t gone in. For Wednesday specifically 50% of those that he’s faced have been missed, keeping out six of 12.
What’s more impressive still is that of the nine missed, he’s actively saved eight of them.
When you consider that, on average, over 80% of penalties are scored – and only around 11% are actually saved – it’s safe to say that the Owls academy graduate is doing pretty well.
“For Cam to stand up and save it with his legs, it was a great save,” Moore said after his later penalty exploits. "David Stockdale's not done too much wrong. But I remember bringing Cammy back for the Oxford game and since then he's been great. Cam's got five or six clean sheets since coming in but credit to Stockers for pushing him. Cam has certainly played his part…
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Hide Ad“I’m pleased Cam saved it – his second of the season – and I think once he did the boys regained their calmness.”
The Owls stopper also saved two penalties in the last shootout that he was involved in, keeping out two for Exeter City last season as they beat Cheltenham Town 5-4, and his only Wednesday shootout resulted in 4-2 win over Walsall. He saved one that day, too.
Keiren Westwood holds the record for the most clean sheets in a single league campaign (17 – 2014/15), and while the Wednesday need just one more to set a new club record (also 17) it’ll be a stretch for either of this season’s stoppers to beat ‘Westy’ considering they’ve split the season.
No player in the top four tiers with more than one appearance has a better clean sheet ratio than Dawson though (75%) – so you can’t rule it out.