Think he deserves a thread of his own.

Unfortunately, couldn't make the game on Sunday after going over the top with the Scotland celebrations but fair fecking play to Esson... I can't remember the last time an ICT keeper saved a penalty (feel free to list any you can remember.. can't be more than 20 in ICT's history)!! To do Partick on penalties is Karma at it's best :)

He saved one at Tynecastle and one at Easter Road last year, think Broonie only had two penalty saves in all the years he was here.

He saved one at Tynecastle and one at Easter Road last year, think Broonie only had two penalty saves in all the years he was here.

Apart from those :)

He also saved one in the shoot out against Montrose :)

He also saved one in the shoot out against Montrose :)

and that one :D

Soon as it went to penalties I turned to my brother and said that it would be Esson that would win the game for us. I believe that to save penalties a keepers mind has to be in the right place, and given the fact that Esson had a couple of instinctive saves during the game I felt he was going to be well up for the penalty shout out.

Esson is one of the players I think we are very fortunate to have managed to hold on to this season, especially when you consider that their was a couple of "bigger" teams out there looking for keepers over the summer.

He also saved one in the shoot out against Montrose :)

and that one :D

And what about Arbroath last season.... :D

He also saved one in the shoot out against Montrose :)

and that one :D

And what about Arbroath last season.... :D

:D ... anymore?

Soon as it went to penalties I turned to my brother and said that it would be Esson that would win the game for us. I believe that to save penalties a keepers mind has to be in the right place, and given the fact that Esson had a couple of instinctive saves during the game I felt he was going to be well up for the penalty shout out.

Esson is one of the players I think we are very fortunate to have managed to hold on to this season, especially when you consider that their was a couple of "bigger" teams out there looking for keepers over the summer.

couldnt agree more, when the rumours broke at the end of last season about him being dropped and he could be away i was extremely woried as ive always rated him. Cracking keeper and i think he showed yesterday that he's capable of winning games for us

I was thinking the same CaleyD, Ryan is with out a bought our number one, i was happy going in to penners with ryan in the sticks.... I really do rate him and im glad he has grown in to a fantastic player.... find your right foot tho lol....and i rate him better than fraser!

With all due respect to Mark Brown, Esson is, in my opinion, the best 'keeper we've had since Jim Calder.

With all due respect to Mark Brown, Esson is, in my opinion, the best 'keeper we've had since Jim Calder.

Now that's a statement.... think you're doing Broonie a disservice to be honest

I'd say Esson is a better keeper than Mark Brown...

Good to hear TB pay tribute to him in the post match interview yesterday, although some might have thought that a tad ironic.

Probably on a par with Brown and miles better than Fraser who I really never rated. How he got a move to Motherwell I'll never know, although he seems to have been bombed out a bit there.

That final save in the pens when it got to his left and pushed the shot onto the crossbar was awesome, absolute top drawer stuff! He certainly enjoyed it too!

Very true, still cant get my head round Butcher dropping him at crucial time last season.

Edited September 7, 200916 yr by caley100

He also saved one in the shoot out against Montrose :)

and that one :D

And what about Arbroath last season.... :D

I was at that game, I was confident that we would win on penalties that night, how often can you say that, not only having faith in the keeper but also in the players taking the penalties.

It was the Arbroath game I remember him for. That's why I was confident yesterday.

Also I thought none of the 3 Partick ones were bad penalties, just great saves by Ryan. Whereas our two misses were one by Duncan which was a bit too near the keeper and Foran's which was even poorer, no power and far too near the keeper.

BTW I thought Rossco showed how to take a penalty yesterday. No way Hinchy was getting near that :lol:

An SPL player playing in the SFL, Esson will be a big player for us yhis season.

Esson is a fantastic keeper, one of the guys i was really happy about staying. Broke my heart for him before the end of last season him getting put 2nd to Mikey Fraser...one of the things i really do think Butcher got wrong!! But im sure he knows that himself.

I knew it listening on the radio that he would win it for us...mind you, i wasnt expecting our players to miss 2 though! New one to trust between the sticks in penalty shoot outs since Jim Clader!! Well done Ryan!!

You could see the delight in Esson when he saved the 3rd penalty

maybe a scotland call up soon

Dont be daft. Black has been one of the best and most consistant Scottish CMs in years and yet he still doesnt get even in the Squad!

You could see the delight in Esson when he saved the 3rd penalty

maybe a scotland call up soon

Or interest from a bigger club.

You could see the delight in Esson when he saved the 3rd penalty

maybe a scotland call up soon

Or interest from a bigger club.

Esson and Fraser to swap around in january

Well done esson on saturday, won us the game. I rate him really highly probably more that brown and fraser.

I think it's a little unfair to compare Fraser and Esson. IMO, Fraser is not yet the finished article and still has the potential to become one of Scotland's top Keepers. Although some might say he suffered from playing second fiddle to Brown for so long, only to get his chance when he left and see it snatched away again when Esson arrived at the club, I'm more of the opinion that he should have shown a little more patience. He jumped ship at the end of the season and we all saw what happened to him on a "bigger" stage at the start of the season....something which will have done him more harm than good, and he's basically found himself right back where he was at a couple of seasons back, with a bit of a black mark on his record.

We've been rather fortunate in the keeper department over the years (with a couple of obvious exceptions) and I think we have another great keeper in the making with young Allison who's done himself proud when given the opportunity. As I understand it, prior to pre-season Allison was only ever going to be considered third choice and Butcher was desperate to bring in another keeper. Following his showing in pre-season games he managed to change Butchers mind and is very much thought of as a capable back-up for Esson.

once i get to glasgow il put the penalty shoot out on youtube for those of you who havnt seen the saves. Notice to come!