LIAM ROSENIOR has defended team-mate Chris O’Grady following Albion’s exit from the Capital One Cup.

Chris Hughton’s makeshift side were beaten 2-1 at Walsall last night, their first defeat of the season, after O’Grady missed a second half penalty he had won when the score was 1-1.

Rosenior said: “He showed big enough character to take the penalty. We’ve all missed penalties and there’s no blame goes to him.

“Obviously he’ll be devastated that he missed but we lose as a team, especially with the team spirit that we’ve got.

“It’s no use blaming individuals because it adds up to a team performance and that’s why we’re here, to be successful together.”

O’Grady, substituted straight after blazing his penalty off target, stepped up to take it despite Jake Forster-Caskey putting Albion ahead in the first half from the spot.

Rosenior explained: “We have a list of penalty takers up on the board. Jake was fouled for the first one and fancied it and put it away.

“You want your strikers to want to take penalties, that’s the position they are in, scoring goals.

“Chris missed the target but that can happen to anyone. We’ve seen the best players in the world miss penalties.

“If we have a disappointment like that we have to make sure we still win the game, which we didn’t. Hopefully we’ll bounce back and get a result on Saturday (at Ipswich).”

Bobby Zamora will continue his build-up to first-team action by playing in an in-house practice match this week ahead of the trip to Ipswich, in which he could feature.