Luton Town reached the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 1997 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Preston North End at Deepdale.
The Hatters Under-18s fired home all five of their spot kicks while Preston’s Freddie Tracey saw his effort cannon back off the post as Luton eventually triumphed 5-3.
On a night of drama, Jack Snelus’ grabbed a first-half goal that appeared to have secured the visitors passage into the next round. However Joshua Earl popped up with a last minute equaliser to force the tie into extra time.
North End were then handed a golden opportunity to win the game in the final minute of the extra thirty, when Dylan Davidson was fouled in the area by Cameron McJannet. Davidson though saw his penalty crash back off the cross bar.
The momentum of this tie shifted throughout the evening. A 5th minute goal from Snelus – who calmly slotted home from close range – settled the visitors, who but for the form of Preston keeper Matthew Hudson could have surged further ahead.
Snelus also saw a second goal disallowed for offside in the 38th minute as North End started to build some pressure of their own.
Earl and Jonathan Lunney both tested Luton keeper Liam Gooch before Earl’s late leveller.
The pace dropped in extra-time and Davidson’s miss from 12-yards took the game to penalties where the Hatters converted all five of their spot-kicks perfectly to prevail.
