After a quite remarkable Tuesday evening, Preston North End made it through to the 4th round of the Carabao Cup after a monumental battle with Fulham.
90 minutes couldn’t separate the two sides as Ryan Ledson’s opener was cancelled out by Reiss Nelson’s equaliser.
An unbelievable penalty shootout then followed. 34 spot kicks were taken with North End eventually edging through as Ledson’s second penalty of the night gave them a 16-15 win. A League Cup record for the longest penalty shooutout.
A great battle with a strong Premier League side
Although Fulham made 11 changes to their side from the weekend, it was still a strong team with the likes of Harry Wilson, Sander Berge, Reiss Nelson and Rodrigo Muniz all capable of causing problems for The Lilywhites.
Preston made a eight changes themselves with Liam Lindsay returning to the side after suspension, along with Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Stefan Thordarson, Ryan Ledson, Josh Bowler, Duane Holmes, Milutin Osmajic and a first start for more than 12 months for Patrick Bauer.
The Preston side coped well with Fulham, with the defence resolute and making some crucial blocks and tackles throughout the game. They weren’t tested with many balls around the back, so the pace of the defence wasn’t put under pressure this time round.
Freddie Woodman had a strong game as well, making some fine saves, and coming for plenty of crosses, as well as one save in the shootout.
Kesler-Hayden, Ledson, Bowler and Osmajic particularly will have given Paul Heckingbottom food for thought for his next team selection after some strong displays.
I have to be honest watching the likes of Liam Lindsay, Jordan Storey and an injured Andrew Hughes stepping up to take a penalty did not fill me with confidence, but fair play to every player that scored, there were some great penalties.
Luckily for KKH, his miss did not prove fatal.
Heartbreak for Bauer
Bauer is a popular figure with Preston fans having started his Preston career so strongly when arriving in 2019. To say he has been on the fringes of late would be an understatement, as he barely made the matchday squad last season.
Ryan Lowe made it clear Bauer was free to leave, but he remains at the club and has been back in the squad under Heckingbottom. This was his first appearance on the pitch since October last year, and after Jack Whatmough’s poor showing on Saturday, you can understand why the manager wanted to take a closer look at the German centre-back.
Bauer was having a very solid game, dealing with all that was coming his way. Unfortunately in the 61st minute when putting his body on the line and dealing with a dangerous Fulham attack, Bauer fell awkwardly and looked to hurt his arm or shoulder. At worst it could be a broken collarbone.
The former Charlton Athletic defender had to come off, and he looked devastated as he walked down the tunnel.
His absence was immediately felt, as Fulham scored the equaliser as soon as he was off. He was back on the pitch as Preston celebrated, but he was sporting a sling.
It’s a cruel, cruel blow for a player who has had a rough ride in recent times, and looked set to be given another chance at the club by the new manager. Let’s hope it’s not a long lay-off for him, as he will be needed this season.
Bowler provides one of the missing ingredients
Liam Millar was the man to provide that bit of magic last season, but understandably he didn’t want to play as a wing-back. Josh Bower was Heckingbottom’s sole signing for the club in the limited time he had left of the transfer window.
The former Blackpool man has shown he can be a great player at this level before. In his 45 minutes on the pitch at the weekend he showed some trickery and fashioned a few chances for his teammates. He further proved his technical ability on Tuesday night, causing Ryan Sessegnon problems all night long.
It was his cross that led to Ryan Ledson’s goal, and it’s obvious that with Bowler on the pitch, there will be plenty of dangerous balls going into the opposition’s box.
Heckingbottom simply has to find a place for him in the starting eleven going forward.
More of a captains performance
Following the draw with Middlesbrough, I questioned whether club captain Ben Whiteman was still worthy of his starting place in the side. On Tuesday Heckingbottom chose to go with Ledson and Thordarson as the deeper midfielders, with goalscorer Ledson being handed the captain’s armband.
His goal was a fine finish, perfectly timed, giving the goalkeeper no chance. He also kept his calm twice to slot away two penalties; as did Whiteman to be fair to him.
Ledson has looked full of fire when appearing under the new management, and his tenacity, brings us greater energy in midfield. He looks like more of a natural captain too, and I think Heckingbottom has some really tough decisions to make in the centre of the park.
The Blackburn Rovers game on Sunday seems perfect for Ledson and he will be on a high after Tuesday’s win.
Can more history be made?
Incredibly Preston have never made it beyond the fourth round of the League Cup. With one record already broken, it would be great to see The Lilywhites break another in this competition.
In 2021 we reached the last 16 before losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool, and in 2016 under Simon Grayson we crashed out at that stage after a 6-0 drubbing away to Newcastle United.
Whilst a ‘big tie’ will always be wished for by many, in recent years we have failed to lay a glove on the top teams. Perhaps that will be different with Heckingbottom in charge, with one Premier League scalp already under his belt.
A favourable home tie wouldn’t be the worst draw ever when it is made next week. The win on Tuesday night will already have given everyone a huge confidence boost. Getting into the quarter finals of this competition would do wonders for the players and fans alike.