Leeds United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a youthful Sheffield Wednesday side after a dramatic penalty shootout at Hillsborough. The Owls, fielding an outfield team with an average age of 20, secured a shock victory despite being second best for much of the match.
Ethan Horvath was the hero for Wednesday, saving penalties from Joël Piroe and Sean Longstaff, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin fired his spot-kick over the bar. The tie had been forced to penalties after a late equaliser from Leeds substitute Jayden Bogle cancelled out an own goal from Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
Darlow's error, described as a 'calamity' by manager Daniel Farke, came when he fumbled a shot from Jamal Lowe into his own net. Leeds dominated possession but struggled to break down a resilient Wednesday defence, with Horvath making several crucial saves.
The victory was all the more remarkable given the backdrop of fan protests against owner Dejphon Chansiri, with many supporters boycotting the match. A crowd of just 7,801 attended, but those present witnessed a famous win for the Championship side.
Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen praised his young team's mentality and hunger, saying: 'They are proud to play in our club, they are thankful to go on this pitch and do all that they can for the shirt and for the club.'
Leeds boss Farke admitted his side felt 'embarrassed' by the defeat, apologising to fans who made the trip. 'It hurts as we were the favourites,' he said. 'We have to take the criticism.'
