Leeds United man takes friendly fire over penalty miss after spectacular contribution

Joe Gelhardt's loan at Hull City was going exactly to plan or even better until a December injury. The 23-year-old plundered eight goals and two assists in a blistering 10-game streak, before a calf injury ruled him out for around five weeks. Upon his return, Gelhardt took his time to get going again, going four games without a goal contribution, but in his last seven games has found the net three times and added a pair of assists. His most recent goal, a beautifully-struck free-kick into the top corner, helped Hull to a vital win against fellow promotion hopefuls Wrexham. But that wasn't the end of the action for the Whites attacker, who stepped up to the penalty spot after being fouled in the box, only to see his effort saved by Arthur Okonkwo.

Gelhardt's Tigers team-mate Oli McBurnie, who has scored twice from the spot this season, took to social media to poke fun at the loanee. In response to the Hull City official account's post celebrating Gelhardt and the Hull supporters' song 'Joffy again, ole ole,' McBurnie posted: "Joffy won't be on pens again ole oleeeeeeee."

But the 29-year-old was quick to add: "Heavy free-kick though so we let him off."

When asked by a Hull fan why Gelhardt took the penalty in the first place, McBurnie explained it was his call to let the younger man step up. "I’ve said to him all season if he won it he could take it, and he just put one [the free-kick] in the stanch so he fancied it. My fault I should have just taken it, no harm done! 3 points!"

Hull City sit fifth in the Championship table, six points behind the automatic promotion spots albeit having played a game more than second-placed Middlesbrough. Gelhardt and McBurnie have each scored 13 times in the league to help fire the Tigers intop the play-off reckoning.