Sheffield Wednesday knock rivals Leeds out of Carabao Cup with shoot-out win — Independent 26/8/25
Wednesday captain Barry Bannan, Ike Ugbo and Liam Palmer all hit the target in the shoot-out.
Mark Walker
Sheffield Wednesday knocked Yorkshire rivals Leeds out of
the Carabao Cup after winning 3-0 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at a
virtually empty Hillsborough.
Wednesday captain Barry Bannan, Ike Ugbo and Liam Palmer all
hit the target in the shoot-out, while saved efforts from Leeds pair Joel Piroe
and Sean Longstaff sandwiched Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s miss.
After Leeds substitute Jayden Bogle had fired a late
equaliser to cancel out visiting goalkeeper Karl Darlow’s own goal, a Wednesday
side made up mainly of academy players caused a stunning second-round upset.
Wednesday fans answered the call of the club’s Supporters
Trust to boycott the tie in protest against owner Dejphon Chansiri and only a
half-full South Stand was in use at Hillsborough apart from the away end
Owls fans have stepped up their demands for Chansiri to sell
the cash-strapped club after various embargoes placed on them for tax debts,
late payments to players and staff, plus money owed to rival clubs, have left
them in a perilous position.
Head coach Henrik Pedersen made 10 changes following
Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Wrexham so as not to risk his senior players in a
threadbare squad.
Centre-half Cole McGhee and striker George Brown, both 19,
made their debuts, while Leeds made nine changes from their 5-0 weekend defeat
at Arsenal.
Defenders Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw made their first
appearances and fellow summer signings Longstaff, Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor
made their first starts.
The visitors pinned youthful Wednesday – seven of their
starters have yet to make a league appearance for the club – in their own half
for most of the first period, but were restricted to few scoring chances.
On-loan goalkeeper Ethan Horvath saved superbly to deny
fellow American Brenden Aaronson at the back post, while Wednesday’s best
chance before the break fell to captain Jamal Lowe, who curled a free-kick
narrowly wide.
Piroe’s free-kick curled off target and Aaronson fired
another effort wide early in the second half before Calvert-Lewin stepped off
the bench for his first Leeds appearance.
Despite Leeds’ pressure, Wednesday took the lead in the 63rd
minute.
Reece Johnson’s low drive was well-saved by Darlow, but Lowe
pounced on the loose ball and his cross was fumbled by the Leeds goalkeeper
across his own goal-line.
Wednesday sent on 16-year-old forward Will Grainger for his
debut before Horvath produced two brilliant saves to deny Calvert-Lewin and
fellow substitute Willy Gnonto in quick succession.
Leeds continued to press for an equaliser and were rewarded
when Bogle drilled home a low finish with nine minutes left.
Calvert-Lewin steered substitute Anton Stach’s free-kick off
target from in front of goal and was denied again by Horvath in stoppage time
as Wednesday held on to take the tie to penalties.
