The joke Christmas present for Hearts' star man after 'voodoo doll' strikes again

Penrice gives away three penalties in a week - but is all smiles on birthday

“At this point, I'm just going to chop my arms off, I think.” Hearts left-back James Penrice could make a joke about it come Sunday evening, but earlier on he was not dealing with a laughing matter.

For the third time in a week, Penrice conceded a penalty while playing for Hearts - two of which were for handball offences. Against Kilmarnock, it resulted in them losing 1-0, and against Petrocub on Thursday, the foul allowed the Moldovans to earn a 2-2 draw and knock Hearts out of Europe. So you can imagine the defender’s despair when referee John Beaton pointed to the spot during Sunday’s key Premiership match against St Johnstone at Tynecastle.

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Hearts were leading 1-0 at the time thanks to Penrice scoring his first goal for the Jambos with a well-timed header - on his birthday, no less. But then the fates gave him a rotten present. On 53 minutes, a cross came in and the ball struck his arm. After the VAR check, Graham Carey converted from 12 yards and Saints were level. This time, Hearts managed to rally, with Blair Spittal volleying what turned out to be the winner on 58 minutes. Hearts are off bottom spot, up to tenth. Three points were the best gift Penrice could hope for.

James Penrice heads home his first goal for Hearts against St Johnstone.James Penrice heads home his first goal for Hearts against St Johnstone.
James Penrice heads home his first goal for Hearts against St Johnstone. | SNS Group

The 26-year-old has had his fill with giving away penalties, though. “Honestly, I'm sick of it,” the summer signing said. “I've seen it so late. The boy, one of the strikers, goes to head it and he misses it, and I just think it's going through and it hits my arm.

“It does hit my arm, I've not seen it back, but at this point, the boys are going to get me a pair of gloves for Christmas. Honestly, it's ridiculous. At half-time, I was thinking, right, brilliant, scored, and then come back out, gave away a pen, and I was thinking, somebody's up the stairs doing something to me.

“I’ve got a voodoo doll somewhere, somebody's giving me pens. But, look, I'm buzzing, Blair’s pulled me out of the hole and we get the three points.”

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Penrice understands why the penalties are being given, but he expressed how hard it is becoming for defenders. “It's difficult because we're going to get to a point where it's going to be that you just run about with your arms at your side,” he continued. “That's the way I'm feeling right now. As soon as the ball comes in the box, just whack my arms at the side.

“It's so unnatural. I think he's so close to me that when he goes to try and head it, it puts me off because I think, oh, it's running through. It's going to get to a point where it's just going to be boys running about with their hands at their side.

“I knew it hit my hand to be fair. We went on the attack and then it went out for a throw, and then he whistled and I was like, you've got to be kidding me.

James Penrice was all smiles at the end of the win over St Johnstone.James Penrice was all smiles at the end of the win over St Johnstone.
James Penrice was all smiles at the end of the win over St Johnstone. | SNS Group

“I'll look at it back and see but it is difficult. Nobody's intentionally want to go and hand the ball. I'm not trying to stop an attack or stop a chance. It's just, it's hit me and it's difficult to get out of the way, but obviously I'm going to need to try.”

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Nobody in the Hearts support is holding such misfortune against Penrice, however. The full-back has largely excelled since joining from Livingston and has been a shining light in an otherwise pretty gloomy season to date for the Jambos. Spirits were lifted by defeating St Johnstone amid fan unrest and supporter boycotts.

Penrice said: “I said that after the game on Thursday, that we've got a chance now to go and put two massive home performances in. I thought the boys were brilliant today.

“We stuck together and I think over the second half, they kind of got back into it but we dug in and I think that's the kind of win you probably wanted, to show that we're not just going to fold and we go back in front and we keep the lead and we take the three points.”

The victory was especially important given that Hearts’ next match is the not insignificant matter of a Boxing Day Edinburgh derby against Hibs at Tynecastle. Penrice does not seem cowed by the prospect, saying that the rest of his birthday would be spent “recovering” ahead of a hectic set of fixtures.

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“Every team's different,” Penrice answered diplomatically on Hibs. “We'll go over it over the next couple of days. We'll look at their strengths and how they've been playing. We'll hopefully try and nullify that and go and put our strengths. We're a massive club and any team that comes here should try and change for us. That's what we want it to be.”

James Penrice has given away three penalties in a week - starting against Kilmarnock.James Penrice has given away three penalties in a week - starting against Kilmarnock.
James Penrice has given away three penalties in a week - starting against Kilmarnock. | SNS Group

Come 2.30pm on Boxing Day, Hearts will be midway through their Premiership campaign. The Jambos are a long way from the third-placed finish of last season but with the bottom half of the table already congested, Penrice knows the value of putting a series of positive results together.

“Definitely,” added Penrice on the prospect of using a potential derby wing as a springboard. “We've got so many games over this next period before New Year. We need to go and start putting a run together. We can do that. We're more than capable of doing that. It's just about doing that game by game.”

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