TOP scorer Richard Brodie has been given the green light to continue as York City’s penalty taker despite missing from the spot at Altrincham.

Brodie will not be relieved of the responsibility during today’s FA Trophy clash at Kidderminster despite seeing his first-half effort saved at Moss Lane in Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw.

The England ‘C’ international only has a 33 per cent success rate for City from 12 yards, having followed up a successful conversion in the Trophy at Grays last season with a woeful Setanta Shield shoot-out effort that cleared the crossbar against Northwich.

Until recently, Craig Farrell had been assigned spot kick duties but he is no longer assured of a first-team place and has failed to score from his last two attempts in any case.

Of the club’s other candidates, left-back Mark Robinson has also seen his one effort saved while Onome Sodje, Adam Boyes, Steven Hogg and Simon Rusk did manage to convert during this season’s Setanta Shield penalties’ victory over Mansfield.

New signing Christian Smith also fancied stepping up at Altrincham but, for now, the duty will remain with Brodie.

City boss Martin Foyle, who admitted he closed his eyes before Brodie’s penalty at Moss Lane, added: “I don’t see why Richard should not take the next one. He’s a confident boy and I told him at half-time that good players go back in the box looking for goals after missing a penalty and he went on to score our equaliser so I was delighted with him.”

Not one of the 199 goals Foyle scored in 20 years as a professional came from the spot.

Aside from finding the net in a lengthy shoot-out, in which he was not one of the nominated takers, the former Oxford and Port Vale striker saw his only other penalty saved when he was on a hat-trick.

He said: “I didn’t want to take them. I was fine with heading and shooting in the box but there was just something about penalties that I didn’t feel comfortable with. That’s why I would never blame a penalty taker for missing.

“Even when I scored in the shoot-out, I didn’t fancy another one if it had come back round to me as it nearly did.”

Instead of Foyle, City’s assistant manager Andy Porter was assigned penalty responsibilites at Port Vale and he supported the decision to stick by Brodie, adding the forward should not change his favoured style.

He said: “My advice would be to concentrate on the ball. That’s what I did.

“I used to hit mine to the ’keeper’s left every time but, after doing that four times and scoring, the manager told me to change it and go for the opposite corner because people had been watching. I did with the fifth and hit the post.”