He didn't have to run out and block the attacker, having failed to make any kind of save.
I don't get this, which is a variation of "what else was he supposed to do?" on some other contentious decisions. If you put yourself in a stupid position such that you cause a foul, then the response is...
I'm team Peter Walton, not Keane/Neville/Wright on this one.
if that was in the middle of the pitch and one player pushed the ball past another but was blocked by an opposing player just standing in the way, it would be a free-kick every single time.
As such, it was a penalty for me.