Aston Villa goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic has revealed his delight after bagging his first clean sheets during the Championship clash against Reading on the road. The west Midlands outfit could only muster a 0-0 draw against the Royals on Saturday and that came about with an impressive performance from Kalinic, who made a couple of notable saves.
Speaking after the game, the Croatia international was pleased to secure his maiden shutout for the team after previously going four matches without doing so. He added that he required some time to adapt to the demands of the Championship and is hoping to improve the club’s defensive statistic for the remainder of the season.
"I've played five games in a row and have my clean sheet now, which I'm happy about. It's been a new club and a new environment for me over the last month. I've needed time to adapt. But now I think the good times are coming. We were the better team against Reading but couldn't get the win. We can't be completely happy but it's a point and a clean sheet. Sometimes the goalkeeper has to make the difference. My team-mates are always working hard for me, so I've got to do my bit too,” he was quoted as saying on the club’s official website.
“Villa were widely fancied to get the better of Reading on the road with them possessing an in-form Tammy Abraham in their ranks“. However, they could only muster three shots on target throughout the game and “they were eventually made“ to rue a missed opportunity to close the gap on the playoff positions.
Dean Smith’s men are currently four points behind sixth-placed Bristol City on the table, though the latter have an additional game in hand. Villa’s next game comes against Sheffield United at home and the match should promise goals with the visitors having Billy Sharp, who is currently the joint top-scorer in the Championship alongside Abraham with 19 goals.