Leeds United Under-23s: 10-man Whites seal Premier League Cup progression with shootout victory over Fulham
10-man Leeds United sealed progression through to the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup on Thursday evening with a penalty shootout victory over Fulham. Marcelo Bielsa made first-team players Izzy Brown, Barry Douglas and Gaetano Berardi available for the knockout tie against the Cottagers.
Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton were also named on the bench while midfielder Robbie Gotts was handed a start. Leeds were the better of the two sides but failed to hit their free-flowing best in the opening exchanges. United's sloppy play in the final third saw a number of stray passes overhit as Fulham grew in confidence as the half progressed.
Ryan Edmondson saw a shot blocked and Mateusz Bogusz fired a volley over the bar from outside the area. Carlos Corberan's side, though, did produce one moment of quality before the half-time whistle as Brown and Douglas combined inside the box which saw the latter brought down by Jayden Harris. Referee Darren Middleton pointed to the spot and Edmondson fired the spot-kick high into the net with a thunderous strike.
United's lead didn't last long after the break as Harrison Male was caught on the ball inside his own six-yard box. Harris made up for his earlier mistake as he swept up the loose ball before being hauled to the ground by the stopper. He was adjudged to have failed to play the ball and given his marching orders with Josh Rae stepping off the bench in United's final substitution of the night.
Matthew O'Riley found the bottom corner from the penalty spot and it didn't take long for the visitors to complete the comeback. Nicolas Santos Clase found space just before the hour mark to fire home underneath Rea with Leeds struggling to get a foothold in the game following the dismissal.
United, though, did muster a leveller with their only chance of the second half with substitute Clarke the architect. The 18-year-old beat his man on the right and found Bryce Hosannah who drilled low into the box first time with Brown on hand to slot home and force extra-time.
Leeds went close through Struijk after the swapping of ends as he headed a corner over the bar before substitute Sonny Hilton fired a volley wide for the visitors. Rae was forced into late action as the striker again found a way through the United backline but the goalkeeper got down low to ensure penalties would be required. Brown, Bogusz, Struijk and Clarke all bagged for United with Jordan Stevens and Steven Sessegnon both missing to send the shootout to sudden death.
Berardi sent George Wickens the wrong way before goalscorer Santos Clase saw his effort fly over the bar to send Leeds into the quarter-finals of the competition on a dramatic night.
Leeds United XI: Male, Hosannah, Struijk, Berardi, Douglas, Diaz, Bogusz, Gotts, Stevens, Brown, Edmondson. Subs: Rae, Shackleton, Clarke, Davis, Kun.
Fulham XI: Wickens, Drameh, Sessegnon, Edun, Jenz, Opoku, Harris, O'Riley, Kait, Francois, Santos Clase. Subs: Stahl, Abraham, McAvoy, Hilton, Havilland.
