KARL Duguid may be a candidate for one Colchester United's all-time greats, but he's the first to admit that he's not been one of the best penalty takers!It is 10 years to the day that Steve Wignall's Colchester side played at Wembley, in the Auto Windscreens Shield Final against Carlisle on April 20, 1997.

By Carl Marston

KARL Duguid may be a candidate for one Colchester United's all-time greats, but he's the first to admit that he's not been one of the best penalty takers!

It is 10 years to the day that Steve Wignall's Colchester side played at Wembley, in the Auto Windscreens Shield Final against Carlisle on April 20, 1997.

No goals were scored during normal time and 30 minutes of sudden-death extra-time, so a nerve-racking penalty shoot-out ensued.

Carlisle scraped through 4-3 on penalties to lift the Shield, and a very young Duguid, aged just 19, missed one of the two U's penalties. Peter Cawley was the other culprit.

After that match, then-U's boss Steve Wignall insisted that Duguid would “get over the disappointment” of the penalty miss, and that he was “a very confident lad.”

And so it has proved. Ten years on and club skipper Duguid is preparing to lead out the U's in front of a sell-out Layer Road crowd - league leaders Sunderland are in town tomorrow.

“That Auto Windscreens Shield Final seems such a long time ago, and of course I remember my missed penalty. That sort of thing makes you, or breaks you,” recalled Duguid last night.

“I was only a youngster at the time, and I think that the whole experience benefited me. It was a great day, and both me and the team have progressed a lot since then, with two promotions over the last 10 years.

“Missing that penalty was just one of those things that happens in your career. It was a low point for me, but there haven't been that many low points. I suppose my serious knee injury (sidelined for 19 months) was the main low.

“I think I've grown up since that missed penalty. I've only taken one more for Colchester since then, and I missed that one as well, at York City in the FA Cup,” added Duguid wryly.

Former youth teamer Duguid famously burst into tears after Carlisle keeper Tony Caig saved his spot kick 10 years ago. It was a heart-breaking moment.

He failed to score from the spot in an FA Cup first round tie at York City on November 27, 2001. Duguid actually forced extra-time with a late equaliser (2-2), but again missed in the penalty shoot-out as the Minstermen won through 3-2.

There will be little chance of a repeat against Sunderland tomorrow. Regular penalty-taker Chris Iwelumo has 17 goals to his name, and has scored from all six of his spot kicks this term.

Duguid can't wait for the visit of Roy Keane's men. The Black Cats are unbeaten in their last 17 matches and could even wrap up promotion tomorrow, if they beat the U's and Derby County suffer a shock defeat at home to bottom club Luton.

“It's a massive game, and it will be a great one to be involved in. The pressure seems to be on all the teams we are playing against at the moment, and Sunderland need to win. But we haven't given up hope of getting into the play-offs.

“We are in form (13 points out of 15 from the last five games), and there always seems to be one team who comes up on the rails and nicks a play-off place at the end. Hopefully, that will be us.”