Deepdale was the site of the most endless penalty shootout in English football on Tuesday evening.
After a 1-1 draw in regulation time during their Carabao Cup third round tie, Fulham and Preston North End combined to take a record 34 penalties, 31 of which found the net.
Excluding the FA Cup qualifiers, this was the highest-scoring penalty shootout ever in a major English domestic competition. It surpassed the League Cup match between Derby County and Carlisle United in 2016, which finished 14-13.
It reflects a modern trend, with all five of the highest-scoring shootouts taking place in the last thirteen years. That may be indicative of the increasing attention to detail during shootouts. According to head coach Marco Silva, that was certainly the case for Fulham, although it did not pay off.
“We always prepare,” he said Fulham’s media outlet. “When you play in these competitions it is part of our routine to prepare for penalties. Sometimes we repeat; not just one penalty for one player. We do it twice against the same goalkeeper. But it’s one thing to prepare during a session and another when it comes to a shootout decision in a competition.”
For Fulham, the shootout’s longevity surpassed a miserable night at Aldershot in 1987, in what was then known as the Freight Rovers Cup. They were defeated 11-10 after a 1-1 draw in normal time, with 28 penalties taken. Gordon Davies, the club’s record goalscorer, took two penalties in the shootout and missed them both. For Preston, this result marks a 10-9 win over Oldham in the 2014-15 edition of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
This result was a major disappointment for Paul Heckingbottom’s Championship side, eliminating a side that reached the semi-finals the previous season. Ryan Ledson, who also scored a sublime half-volley for Preston in regular time, scored the winning penalty after Fulham’s Timothy Castagne fired his goal over the crossbar. Reiss Nelson, who was one of the eleven substitutes for Fulham on Saturday after the draw against West Ham, scored his team’s goal in regular time.
‘The level of punishment was really good’ Heckingbottom told Preston’s YouTube channel. “When you go that deep into it, show the dedication in the game to take penalties, and then they get to 9-9, 10-10, 11-11… the longer it went on, the more I wanted to win it game. It is very good that we can put a positive end to this.”
On the occasion of this historic event, and that is true The Athletics style, here’s the rundown of every single punishment on a unique evening in Deepdale.
No. 1: Raul Jimenez. Fulham. Scores — 0-1
Jimenez helps us on our way. He takes a huge run-up, about 10 meters. He takes a sidestep to the left before sauntering towards the ball and sending goalkeeper Freddie Woodman the wrong way. That will happen to both goalkeepers a few more times…
No. 2. Ben Whiteman. Preston. Scores — 1-1
Preston captain Whiteman gets the hosts on the board. A faster run-up, a slight hesitation and then he shoots the ball to the goalkeeper’s right. Steven Benda is going in the right direction, but can’t get close.
No. 3. Sasa Lukic. Fulham. Scores — 1-2
Woodman goes in the right direction, but Lukic’s penalty, shot hard and low to the goalkeeper’s right, is out of reach.
No. 4. Sam Greenwood. Preston. Scores — 2-2
The shortest run yet. Perhaps a moment of danger, a prime area for a ridiculous delivery…
Never doubt. Hard and low right from Benda. The guard can’t get close to it. Ominous standards set so far.
No. 5. Sander Berge. Fulham. Scores — 2-3
High right of Woodman. A second penalty for which the goalkeeper has gone in the right direction, but just cannot reach it.
No. 6. Jeppe Okkels. Preston. Scores — 3-3
Winger Okkels opens his body and aims for top shots. It’s close to the side net, but not quite top corner, he finds the net. Benda is moving in the right direction, but to no avail.
No. 7. Alex Iwobi. Fulham. Scores — 3-4
Iwobi’s penalty would have been a significant penalty for a goalkeeper, but he has done the hardest thing and that puts Woodman on the wrong track. He gives the goalkeeper a small smile. We continue.
No. 8. Alistair McCann. Preston. Scores — 4-4
You don’t keep that. Midfielder McCann whips the ball high and far away from Benda.
No. 9. Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham. Scores — 4-5
Sessegnon keeps his eyes on the goalkeeper and then sends him the wrong way, but there is still some tension.
He celebrates by walking up to Woodman and putting his finger to his lips. So far the goalkeeping tricks are not working for either side.
No. 10. Milutin Osmajic. Preston. Scores — 5-5
Osmajic, the Preston striker, received the fewest touches during the match. But he made this one count. That’s 10 out of 10 for the team’s best players. Pretty flawless throughout. Now the sudden death and those who didn’t feel like it…
No. 11. Timotheus Castagne. Fulham. Scores — 5-6
The night was going well for Castagne at this point. He scores his penalty high to the keeper’s right, which is sent the wrong way. There is a fist pump towards the end. Enjoy it while it lasts, Timothy.
No. 12. Ryan Ledson. Preston. Scores — 6-6
Mirrors Castagne’s penalty. High and unstoppable. The goalkeeper goes the wrong way. Not even close.
No. 13. Emile Smith Rowe. Fulham. Scores — 6-7
Fulham’s club record signing first penalty of the night, which looked a bit risky. Woodman goes in the right direction and almost gets the hand on it. The pace of the penalty takes it into the net. It is an accurate penalty, right in the corner.
No. 14. Liam Lindsay. Preston. Scores — 7-7
Many of Preston’s penalties are aimed high. It’s admirably ballistic. Fulham’ goalkeeper Benda seems to be going into hiding here. Central defender Lindsay’s penalty is closer to the center than to the corner, but is out of reach for the helpless Benda. Preston’s players don’t feel the pressure to finish second.
No. 15. Issa Diop. Fulham. Scores — 7-8
Diop takes two steps and crashes it into the net. Woodman has not yet started his dive when the ball flashes past him. A truly elite centre-back penalty. Gets a few gasps of chutzpah. If Diop scores belters, this won’t end anytime soon.
No. 16. Jordan Floor. Preston. Scores — 8-8
Floor goes high and finds the top corner. Benda is heading in the right direction, but even if he guessed correctly, he won’t make it. We’re now well into goalkeeping question territory… Open the Carabao cans, it could be a long night.
No. 17.Jorge Cuenca. Fulham. SAVED — 8-8
This is what the penalty for a central defender should look like. None of this top shelf nonsense. Nice and readable, Woodman dives low to the left to parry the ball away. Big fist bump celebration. Now a chance to end the shootout…
No. 18. Kaine Kesler-Hayden. Preston. SAVED — 8-8
After flailing miserably around the six-yard box for the last ten minutes, both goalkeepers suddenly move off the goal line. This fine is ridiculous. Kesler-Hayden is able to complete the proceedings, but his penalty is far too straight and central.
No. 19. Martial Godo. Fulham. Scores — 8-9
And… normal service resumes. Woodman dives the wrong way. The youngster Godo, 19, is clearly dissatisfied with Woodman because, like Sessegnon, he goes to him and ‘silences’ him.
No. 20.Andrew Hughes. Preston. Scores — 9-9
Everyone wants this one to be scored. Central defender Hughes again sends Benda the wrong way and ensures that we will see both goalkeepers take a kick.
No. 21. Steven Benda. Fulham. Scores — 9-10
Benda takes an outrageous penalty. He sticks it in the top corner. At this base, he might be better off catching them than saving them! Houtman next…
No. 22. Freddie Woodman. Preston. Scores — 10-10
The same goes for Woodman. Benda is going in the wrong direction. Woodman fires hard and low. The show continues and the first choice takers return…
No. 23. Raul Jimenez. Fulham. Results — 10-11
Taking two penalties in the same match entails risks. Although clearly not at Deepdale. Jimenez changes his run-up and adds a second stutter. He also puts the ball into the top corner, above the reach of Woodman, who guessed correctly.
No. 24. Ben Whiteman. Preston. Results — 11-11
Once the goalkeepers have taken a penalty, it’s not really that fun anymore. Benda comes close here, he gets his leg on the kick, which is fired through the middle. He thought the penalty would match the standards set earlier in the shootout. Good mind games from Whiteman.
No. 25. Sasa Lukic. Fulham. Results — 11-12
Lukic shoots his penalty in the same direction and Woodman remembers that well. Too bad Lukic put the ball in the top corner. We continue.
No. 26. Sam Greenwood. Preston. Results — 12-12
Greenwood’s well-struck penalty beats Benda at full strength. Heckingbottom and his staff chuckle on the sidelines. Parents who have to keep bedtimes in the stands are not happy about that. That also applies to the few hundred Fulham fans who will have to travel another 300 kilometers once this shooting exercise is over.
No. 27. Sander Berge. Fulham. Results — 12-13
Berge shapes up to hit it Diop style, but then just shoots the ball into the net. Not in the corner, but that doesn’t matter because Woodman has gone the wrong way and he’s falling to the ground. We are certainly trying to gain ground for the goalkeepers now. Good thing we don’t play on Astro.
No. 28. Jeppe Okkels. Preston. Results — 13-13
Armcles’ razor–sharp The punishment keeps us going. Sorry.
No. 29. Alex Iwobi. Fulham. Results — 13-14
Iwobi’s uncle, Jay-Jay Okocha, once had a penalty saved at the 1996 Olympics by Brazilian legend Dida. Iwobi doesn’t miss. We continue.
No. 30. Alistair McCann. Preston. Results — 14-14
There must be a disability at this point. Maybe every penalty should be taken a meter further back? At this point it feels a bit pointless to have a goalkeeper. They don’t go near these stairs. Crossbar challenge, anyone?
No. 31. Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham. Results — 14-15
How is your happiness? Sessegnon tried to silence Woodman earlier, but the Preston goalkeeper did him a favor here. The ball hits the post, hits Woodman’s back and then goes in. Does that mean two goals for the ‘keepers? Is this an own goal? If so, it means that more goals are scored by the goalkeepers than there are saves made…
No. 32. Milutin Osmajic. Preston. Results — 15-15
I always loved those old fashioned MLS penalty kicks, dribbling from the halfway line. Maybe you can also bring in a defender and set up a one-on-one scenario. Anyway, all the first choice players took and scored two penalties. It’s actually impressive from Preston as they took and scored 11 penalties, while a miss would have eliminated them.
No. 33. Timotheus Castagne. Fulham. MISS – 15-15
Finally. After 33 penalties we have one that misses the target completely. Castagne is completely wrong, it is high and wide. Completely against the standard of penalty kicks in this shootout.
Clearly, this shootout would not be decided by a goalkeeper save.
No. 34. Ryan Ledson. Preston. Results — 16-15
It’s over. Preston’s goal scorer in normal time seals the deal. Fittingly, he sends Benda the wrong way. A gunfight of impressive quality comes to an end.
(Top photo: Getty Images)