Championship side progress on penalties at Highbury
Fleetwood Town fought valiantly in the EFL Cup fixture against Leeds United but lost out overall after a lengthy penalty shootout.
Goals from Aaron Amadi-Holloway and Ashley Hunter took the game to extra time but the experienced Leeds keeper, Robert Green, saved the side heartbreak after saving Eggert Jonsson penalty.
Town made three changes to the side that faced Northampton on Saturday as Cian Bolger, Amadi-Holloway and Devante Cole replace Nathan Pond, Bobby Grant and Ashley Hunter. Leeds United right-back Gaetano Berardi misses this game through injury but Pablo Hernandez has gained international clearance to play his first game for the away side.
With just 47 seconds on the clock, Devante Cole raced down the right wing to catch a loose ball on the edge of the Leeds penalty area but unfortunately, his shot flew wide of the left post.
Leeds’ first chance came from a Hadi Sacko cross as he played the ball into the box, aiming for Pablo Hernandez, but the ball was cleverly caught out by Ashley Eastham who put the ball out for a corner.
The deadlock was broken just 12 minutes into the game after David Ball crossed the ball in from the right wing towards Victor Nirennold. The Frenchman touched the ball down and Amadi-Holloway put his foot through it and struck the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Garry Monks’ side tried to get the equaliser straight away as Kemar Roofe lobbed a loose ball from the Fleetwood box towards Pablo Hernandez who half-volleyed the ball over the bar.
Fleetwood carried on pressuring the Leeds defence and after a cross from Ball, which was knocked on by Ashley Eastham towards Amadi-Holloway. The striker volleyed the ball towards goal but Kyle Bartley managed to thwart it.
In the 24thminute, Chris Neal had to make his first save of the game after Roofe took down a high ball with his chest and let leash a half-volley which was turned behind comfortably by the Fleetwood keeper.
With just two minutes’ left in the half, Leeds attacker Roofe forced a good save from Neal after he drilled a shot from the edge of the box but Neal was a match for it as he pushed the ball away from his goal.
The first chance of the second half went to Leeds as Charlie Taylor ran the ball down the left wing and crossed the ball into their striker, Chris Wood, who headed the ball over the bar.
At the hour mark, Amadi-Holloway was taken off the pitch for Ashley Hunter and the nippy striker almost made his mark instantly. After great play from Ball, he crossed the ball towards an unmarked Hunter who unfortunately struck the ball over the bar.
Leeds attempted to equal up the game a few minutes after that as Lewis Coyle drove the ball from deep and struck the ball towards the centre of the goal but Neal stood stern and made an easy catch.
Just before the end of the game, Leeds Substitute Marcus Antonsson threw a spanner in the works after he made the score equal just one minute from time. His strike took the game straight into extra time.
Just four minutes into the added thirty, Antonsson was dragged down in the Town box by Ashley Eastham, which earned Leeds a penalty. The penalty was struck into the bottom left corner of the goal by Wood to make the game 2-1.
With ten minutes’ left on the clock, Hunter drew the game level once again after a brilliant piece of play from Eggert Jonsson left the striker unmarked in the centre to drill the ball into the back of the net.
With chances from Hunter and Cian Bolger late on in extra time, the Cod Army looked like they could have finished the game off but the visiting defence stayed resilient and made sure the game went to penalties.
Wood, Grant, Antonsson, Jimmy Ryan, Alex Mowatt, Conor McLaughlin, Kalvin Phillips, Hunter and Hernandez all scored their penalties but Eggert Jonsson’s strike was saved by Leeds’ keeper Green to end the game.
The attendance for the Tuesday night fixture was 3,322 with 1,325 Leeds United supporters.
TOWN:Chris Neal, Conor McLaughlin, Amari’I Bell, Eggert Jonsson, Ashley Eastham, Jimmy Ryan, Aaron Amadi-Holloway (Ashley Hunter, 60), David Ball (Bobby Grant, 72), Cian Bolger, Victor Nirennold, Devante Cole (Nathan Pond, 81).
LEEDS:Robert Green, Kyle Bartley, Liam Cooper (Sol Bamba, 45), Kemar Roofe, Chris Wood, Pablo Hernandez, Charlie Taylor, Kalvin Phillips, Hadi Sacko (Alex Mowatt, 65), Ronaldo Viera (Marcus Antonsson, 75), Lewis Coyle.