Deepdale was the venue of English football’s most interminable penalty shootout on Tuesday night.
After playing out a 1-1 draw in normal time during their Carabao Cup third-round tie, Fulham and Preston North End took a record-breaking 34 penalties between them, with an astonishing 31 finding the net.
Excluding FA Cup qualifiers, this was the highest-scoring penalty shootout ever in a major English domestic competition. It surpassed the League Cup clash 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 within the past 13 years. That’s perhaps indicative of the increasing attention to detail during shootouts. That was certainly the case for Fulham, according to head coach Marco Silva, although it did not pay off.
“We always prepare,” he told Fulham’s media channel. “When you play in these competitions, it is part of our routine to prepare 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 in a session and another thing when it comes to a shootout decision in a competition.”
For Fulham, the shootout’s longevity surpassed a miserable night in Aldershot back 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 betters a 10-9 victory over Oldham in the 2014-15 edition of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
This result was a big upset for Paul Heckingbottom’s Championship side, knocking out a side that reached the semi-finals last season. Ryan Ledson, who also scored a sublime half-volley in normal time for Preston, netted the winning spot kick after Fulham’s Timothy Castagne blazed his strike over the bar. Reiss Nelson, who was one of 11 changes for Fulham from their draw at West Ham on Saturday, scored his side’s goal in normal time.
“The standard of penalties was really good,” Heckingbottom told Preston’s YouTube channel. “When you get that deep into it, showing the commitment in the game to get to penalties, and then they are racking up 9-9, 10-10, 11-11… the more it went on, the more I wanted to win the game. To have a positive end to that is really good.”
To mark this historic occasion, and in true The Athletic style, here is the breakdown of every single penalty on a unique night at Deepdale.
No 1: Raul Jimenez. Fulham. Scores — 0-1
Jimenez gets us under way. He takes a huge run-up, about 10 yards. He side-steps to the left, before strolling up to the ball and sending goalkeeper Freddie Woodman the wrong way. That’s going to happen a few times to both goalkeepers…
No 2. Ben Whiteman. Preston. Scores — 1-1
Preston captain Whiteman gets the hosts on the board. A quicker run-up, slight hesitation and then he blasts it to the goalkeeper’s right. Steven Benda goes the right way but can’t get close.
No 3. Sasa Lukic. Fulham. Scores — 1-2
Woodman goes the right way, but Lukic’s penalty, which is hit hard and low to the goalkeeper’s right, is out of reach.
No 4. Sam Greenwood. Preston. Scores — 2-2
The shortest run-up yet. Perhaps a moment of jeopardy, prime territory for a ridiculed delivery…
Never in doubt. Hard and low to Benda’s right. The ’keeper can’t get near it. Ominous standards set so far.
No 5. Sander Berge. Fulham. Scores — 2-3
High to Woodman’s right. A second penalty that the ’keeper has gone the right way for, but he just can’t reach it.
No 6. Jeppe Okkels. Preston. Scores — 3-3
Winger Okkels opens up his body and aims for top bins. It’s close to the side netting and while not quite top corner, he finds the net. Benda goes the right way but to no avail.
No 7. Alex Iwobi. Fulham. Scores — 3-4
Iwobi’s penalty would be a decent height for a goalkeeper, but he’s done the hard part and that is sending Woodman the wrong way. He flashes the goalkeeper a little smile. We go on.
No 8. Alistair McCann. Preston. Scores — 4-4
You don’t save those. Midfielder McCann whips the ball high and well clear of Benda.
No 9. Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham. Scores — 4-5
Sessegnon keeps his eyes fixed on the ’keeper and then sends him the wrong way, but there’s a little tension.
He celebrates by walking up to Woodman and putting his finger to his lips. So far the keeper tricks aren’t working for either side.
No 10. Milutin Osmajic. Preston. Scores — 5-5
Osmajic, the Preston striker, had the least amount of touches during the game. But he made this one count. That’s 10 out of 10 for the team’s best takers. Pretty flawless all round. Now for sudden death and those who didn’t fancy it…
No 11. Timothy Castagne. Fulham. Scores — 5-6
The night was going well for Castagne at this point. He nets his spot kick, high to the ’keeper’s right, who is sent the wrong way. There’s a fist pump to the away 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 takes the first penalty of the night that looked a little dicey. Woodman goes the right way and almost gets a hand to it. The pace of the penalty carries it into the net. It’s an accurate penalty, though, right in the corner.
No 14. Liam Lindsay. Preston. Scores — 7-7
So many of Preston’s penalties are aimed high. It’s admirably ballsy. Fulham ’keeper Benda seems to dive under this one. Centre-back Lindsay’s penalty is nearer the centre than the corner, but it’s unreachable for helpless Benda. Preston’s players aren’t feeling the pressure of taking second.
No 15. Issa Diop. Fulham. Scores — 7-8
Diop takes two steps and crashes it into the net. Woodman has not started his dive by the time the ball flashes past him. A true elite centre-back penalty. Gets a few gasps for the chutzpah. If Diop is scoring belters then this is not going to end any time soon.
No 16. Jordan Storey. Preston. Scores — 8-8
Storey goes high and finds the top corner. Benda goes the right way, but even if he had guessed correctly he is not saving that. Well into territory now where questions start being asked about the goalkeepers… Crack open the Carabao cans, could be a long night.
No 17. Jorge Cuenca. Fulham. SAVED — 8-8
Now this is what a centre-back’s penalty should look like. None of this top-corner nonsense. Nice and readable, Woodman dives low to his 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 spending the past 10 minutes or so flailing miserably around the six-yard box, both ’keepers suddenly get off the mark. This penalty is abject. Kesler-Hayden can conclude proceedings, but his spot kick is far too straight and central.
No 19. Martial Godo. Fulham. Scores — 8-9
And… normal service resumes. Woodman dives the wrong way. Youngster Godo, 19, is clearly unhappy with Woodman, as like Sessegnon, he goes over to him and ‘shushes’ him.
No 20. Andrew Hughes. Preston. Scores — 9-9
Everyone wants this one scored. Centre-back Hughes again sends Benda the wrong way and ensures we will see both ’keepers take a kick.
No 21. Steven Benda. Fulham. Scores — 9-10
Benda pulls off an outrageous penalty. He sticks it in the top corner. On this basis, he might be better at taking them than saving them! Woodman next…
No 22. Freddie Woodman. Preston. Scores — 10-10
The same applies to Woodman. Benda goes the wrong way. Woodman fires hard and low. The show rolls on and the first-choice takers return…
No 23. Raul Jimenez. Fulham. Scores — 10-11
Taking two penalties in the same game is laced with risk. Although clearly not at Deepdale. Jimenez changes his run-up, adding a second stutter. He also sticks the ball in the top corner, above the reaches of Woodman, who did guess the right way.
No 24. Ben Whiteman. Preston. Scores — 11-11
Once the ’keepers have taken a penalty, it’s not that much fun anymore really. Benda goes close here, he gets his leg to the kick, which is fired down 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. Scores — 11-12
Lukic fires his penalty in the same direction and Woodman remembers that well. Shame Lukic has stuffed the ball into the top corner, though. We go on.
No 26. Sam Greenwood. Preston. Scores — 12-12
Greenwood’s well-struck penalty beats Benda at full stretch. Heckingbottom and his staff are chuckling on the touchline. Parents with bedtimes to keep in the stands are not amused. Neither are the couple hundred Fulham fans who have 190 miles to travel once this firing practice concludes.
No 27. Sander Berge. Fulham. Scores — 12-13
Berge shapes up to smack it Diop-style but then just strokes the ball into the net. Not in the corner, but it doesn’t matter as Woodman has gone the wrong way and he slumps to the turf. Surely we’re into bruising territory for the goalkeepers now. Good thing we’re not playing on Astro.
No 28. Jeppe Okkels. Preston. Scores — 13-13
Okkels’ razor–sharp penalty keeps us going. Sorry.
No 29. Alex Iwobi. Fulham. Scores — 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 go on.
No 30. Alistair McCann. Preston. Scores — 14-14
At this point, there needs to be a handicap. Maybe each penalty has to be taken a yard further back? At the moment it feels a bit pointless having a goalkeeper. They are not getting near these kicks. Crossbar challenge, anyone?
No 31. Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham. Scores — 14-15
How’s your luck? Sessegnon tried to shush Woodman earlier, but the Preston goalkeeper does him a favour here. The ball hits the post, hits the back of Woodman and then goes in. Does that mean two goals for the ’keepers? Is this an own goal? If so, that means more goals scored by ’keepers than saves made…
No 32. Milutin Osmajic. Preston. Scores — 15-15
I always liked those old-school MLS penalties, dribbling from the halfway line. Maybe bring in a defender, too, and get a one-on-one scenario going. Anyway, all of the first-choice takers have taken two penalties and scored them. It is impressive from Preston, really, as they have taken and scored 11 penalties where a miss would have eliminated them.
No 33. Timothy Castagne. Fulham. MISS — 15-15
Finally. After 33 penalties, we have one that misses the target completely. Castagne gets it all wrong, it’s high and wide. Completely out of keeping with the standard of penalties in this shootout.
Obviously, this shootout was not going to be decided by a ’keeper save.
No 34. Ryan Ledson. Preston. Scores — 16-15
It’s over. Preston’s goalscorer in normal time seals the deal. Fittingly, he sends Benda the wrong way. A shootout of impressive quality comes to an end.
(Top photo: Getty Images)