Pulis backs Berahino to bounce back from penalty misses

West Brom boss Tony Pulis believes striker Saido Berahino will bounce back from having two penalties saved in Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League loss to Watford.

Ben Watson gave the visitors a first-half lead at The Hawthorns, but Watford’s hero was Heurelho Gomes, who twice denied Berahino from 12 yards to earn the FA Cup semi-finalists victory.

But Pulis backed Berahino to recover quickly from the double blow.

“Good players and good strikers miss chances and they miss penalties – and Saido is a good player and he’s a top striker,” Pulis told BBC Sport.

“This will only make him better and stronger. He just has to bounce back. The players have been very good with him and he will feel it as much as everybody has.

“Saido wanted the ball, he wanted to take [the second penalty] and he’s always been our penalty taker, ever since I’ve been here. 

“Good players, really top, top players have missed penalties, players who have had the nous to pick the ball up, put it on the spot and take the next one and I think Saido has shown that.

“Yes, we’re desperately disappointed that he’s not scored and he’ll be the same, but he’s got to learn from that and be stronger next time round.

“I’m hoping if we get another penalty in the next couple of games he’ll be the one picking the ball up and smashing it in the back of the net.”

Pulis felt his side deserved more from the match after their 15-game unbeaten run against Watford came to an end.

“It was disappointing not just for Saido, but for the team, because I thought we were much better than Watford,” the Welshman said.

“It’s a cruel game at times, I thought we played really well. I think we got over 40 crosses into the box and had 20 shots and two penalties and we still don’t score. It just wasn’t our day.

“You can’t criticise any of the players. I was really pleased with the way we kept playing and the number of opportunities and final-third entries we produced.”