Carlisle United suffered spot kick agony last night as they went out of the FA Youth Cup at Brunton Park.
New manager Keith Millen watched from the director’s box as the Carlisle youngsters drew 4-4 with Oldham Athletic and then lost the penalty shoot-out.
The Carlisle youngsters weren’t born when club legend Jimmy Glass – the goalkeeper who scored in stoppage time to keep them in the Football League – produced his heroics.
But they were on the receiving end of a similar unlikely scenario when the Oldham goalkeeper Luke Southerington snatched a last gasp goal to send the tie to extra-time.
The visitors had been behind three times in the 90 minutes, when Southerington – who had saved a 32nd minute penalty to keep the score at 1-0 – equalised with a stoppage time header to take the game into extra time.
From there they went in front for the first time in extra time through midfielder Aaron Atkinson, only to be pegged back by a Carlisle equaliser which brought the need for penalties.
Southerington saved the first and Oldham were accurate in all theirs to win the shoot-out 5-3.
The Blues had got off to a flying start when their regular marksman Sam Fishburn headed in Charlie Watt’s corner on three minutes.
Oldham captain Asa Hughes was injured and retired on 29 minutes and it was his replacement Llyton Chapman, who went on to equalise on the stroke of half-time.
Before then Southerington had made his first significant contribution to the eventual victory by saving a penalty from Fishburn. A goal then would crucially have established a 2-0 lead.
Instead it was 1-1 at half-time but Watt restored the home side’s lead just before the hour with a fine, curling free kick over the defensive wall.
Minutes later Isaac Modi played-in Jim Simms through a static Carlisle defence and his finish was calmly taken.
Atkinson was denied by the post before Watt’s cross into the six yard box was headed home by defender Jack Ellis.
Deep into stoppage time and with nothing to lose Southerington went up for a free kick, and sparked remarkable scenes when he headed into the top corner to force extra time in dramatic fashion.
Latics led for the first time in the 99th minute thanks to a fine finish from Atkinson from the edge of the box.
But on the stroke of half-time in extra time Fishburn grabbed his second of the night and Carlisle’s fourth to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out which went Oldham’s way.