Ryan Ledson holds his nerve as Preston win marathon penalty shoot-out

Ryan Ledson scored the winning penalty as Preston won an incredible shoot-out 16-15 to dump Fulham out of the Carabao Cup.

After the game finished 1-1 with Reiss Nelson cancelling out Ledson’s opener, both teams were ruthless from the spot with the first 16 spot-kicks all finding the net.

Jorge Cuenca and Kaine Kesler-Hayden then both had shots saved before the scoring continued and players began to take their second efforts.

Then, at 15-15, Timothy Castagne ballooned over and Ledson sent Steven Benda the wrong way to the delight of the Deepdale faithful.

Ledson, who is not known for his goalscoring antics, had made it two goals in two cup matches this season with a sublime volley in the 35th minute.

On his first start for the Cottagers, Arsenal loanee Nelson converted a centre from former Tottenham winger Ryan Sessegnon to equalise just after the hour mark.

Both Marco Silva and Paul Heckingbottom heavily rotated their sides and it was one of North End’s changes in Stefan Thordarson who went close with a rasping strike from distance after 12 minutes.

Kesler-Hayden had a far better chance for the hosts in the 20th minute but his close-range header from Mads Frokjaer’s cross was brilliantly parried by Benda.

Just a couple of minutes later, Harrison Reed looked destined to make Preston pay as he strolled on to a ball across the penalty box from Sessegnon but Liam Lindsay threw himself in front of the strike to deny a certain goal.

With the half-hour mark approaching, Kesler-Hayden made amends for his earlier miss by following in the footsteps of team-mate Lindsay, bravely sliding to block a goalbound effort, this time from Sessegnon, as the visitors upped the ante.

However, it was the hosts who took the lead as Ledson thumped a stunning 20-yard volley into the bottom corner after a weak clearance from Reed.

Nonetheless, Silva’s men were packed full of Premier League quality and the Cottagers started to tap into those levels during the second half.

Just before the hour, Reed rattled the bar with a ferocious 20-yard effort and Freddie Woodman had to be alert to spoon out Rodrigo Muniz’s follow-up effort.

That was a warning of what was to come as, in the 61st minute, Nelson ghosted in at the front post to slam home the equaliser.

Woodman then made an excellent 70th-minute stop to keep out Harry Wilson at the near post as the former Liverpool player looked to round off a silky Fulham passage of play.

The introductions of Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez gave a stark reminder of the opposition that Preston faced, and they rose to that challenge.