New Zealand international centre half Winston Reid is back from injury and showing his quality once again

Mark Noble may have been the penalty hero on Saturday at Portsmouth, but for defender Winston Reid it was a case of the penalty-winning hero for the second week running.

Last week at Sheffield Wednesday, the New Zealand international defender was tripped for a spot-kick which Sam Baldock could not convert. This time round, he was wrestled to the ground by Tal Ben Haim and Noble did the rest.

“It got flicked on by Kevin Nolan and I was just trying to hold him off really. I felt that I got overbalanced and he just pulled me over and it was a penalty for me,” said the 23-year-old.

“I think the referee was in a good position and everyone could see, so I thought it was a penalty.”

Reid was also at the centre of the other pivotal moment in the match as David Norris was sent off for an x-certificate challenge on the defender, but like many of us, but perhaps more surprisingly, he didn’t see it either.

“I couldn’t really see it myself because I was just concentrating playing the ball forward,” he explained. “There was definitely contact there and he asked me if I was okay.

“I don’t really think that he was that unhappy about it, it wasn’t as if the rest of the players came over to argue. It was up to the ref to judge on that.”

Reid has now made 30 appearances in claret and blue and his understanding with James Tomkins at the heart of defence is getting better and better. It has left the player brimming with confidence.

“Obviously when you get some trust from the manager as we have it is nice,” said Reid. “The first season I was here was very difficult, but I think personally things are going much better for me this year.

“I am very happy at the moment and I am just looking forward to the rest of the season.”

No doubt manager Sam Allardyce is also happy with Reid’s performances this term. The defender has only just returned from a shoulder injury, but it is as if he had never been away.

However, the Kiwi revealed that the injury could have kept him out for much longer than it did.

“With the shoulder, it was always going to be more complicated because if they didn’t get it right this time and it popped out again, then it would have meant an operation and I could have been out for six or seven months,” he confirmed.

“So we took our time with it and I came through okay and my shoulder feels all right now. You still have some jittery moments, but I think you just have to get your head around it.”

Reid has certainly got his head around life in the Championship. The team have let in the least amount of goals this season and the form of Reid, Tomkins and Faye have been a vital part of that statistic.