"Michael's been around for a long time now and he knows these things happen in football," said Kirkland. "There is no blame on him whatsoever as far as the lads are concerned. Players sometimes miss penalties. That can't be helped. He's a strong lad and he'll put it behind him quickly.
"I'm gutted we lost but I was obviously delighted to be playing in the first place. It's hard to take anything from the game when you've lost it though.
"Over the two games I felt we created enough chances to win four games and the only difference between the sides was Shaka Hislop who made so many great saves.
"I've not had much luck in the cup with Liverpool. I got injured against Crystal Palace last year and to miss out on the chance to face Arsenal in the next round is very disappointing.
"We've still got something to play for - the UEFA Cup is starting again and we've got to set our sights not just on fourth in the Premiership, but maybe getting even higher than that."