Penalty shootout record set as Villa U21s pip Blackpool

A new English professional record for most penalties taken in a shootout was set on Tuesday as Aston Villa's Under-21 side beat Blackpool 18-17 in a marathon effort to advance in the Vertu Trophy.

After the game finished 1-1 at the end of normal time, the second-round tie was decided by an epic battle from the spot.

After two of the first five penalties of the shootout failed to find the net, it took another 33 spot-kicks to settle the result.

Eventually it was decided with the 38th penalty, Blackpool's Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel hitting the post having already taken one successful penalty earlier in the showdown from 12 yards.

Blackpool boss Steve Bruce, the former Manchester United defender who counts Villa among the 11 clubs he previously managed, was stunned by what he witnessed at Bloomfield Road as his League One side were bundled out of the competition.

"I've been involved in a few of these, but I've never seen it go to 18-17," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We haven't done enough against a young Aston Villa side. We should have had enough experience to see them off and we haven't."

Bruce is not alone is never seeing anything like what unfolded, with the shootout going into the history books as the longest in the professional game in England.

Non-league sides Washington and Bedlington hold the overall record in England for their 54-penalty shootout that decided a Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup game in 2022.

But it was only in September that Championship side Preston prevailed against Premier League club Fulham 16-15 in a Carabao Cup shootout in which 34 spot-kicks were taken.

On this occasion it took a fightback from Villa to force the game to go to penalties, with 18-year-old midfielder Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba levelling after Elliot Embleton put the hosts ahead less than a minute into the second half.

Those goals, however, become just footnotes in what turned out to be a remarkable night that was settled in a shootout that dragged on for nearly half an hour.

It started with Kane Taylor slamming home the first for Villa.

And while Albie Morgan dragged his effort wide with Blackpool's second spot-kick, a save from Tangerines goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell to foil Aidan Borland's penalty set up the mammoth showdown that was eventually settled by the woodwork.

Villa's win means they are the last remaining Under-21 side left in the English Football League competition, advancing to face League Two side Bradford in the last 16, with Peterborough United joining them after a 3-0 win over Northampton Town sent Posh through to a home date with Walsall.