Wednesday bowed out of the Carabao Cup 6-5 in a penalty shootout at Premier League Southampton this evening, after the sides were locked at 1-1.
Michael Smith, Barry Bannan, Marvin Johnson, Will Vaulks and Lee Gregory all scored from the spot to take the shootout into sudden death at 5-5, Theo Walcott converted the next penalty for the Saints and then Dominic Iorfa saw his effort saved by the legs of Alex McCarthy to end our run in the competition at the third round stage.
We totally dominated the first half, testing McCarthy through Josh Windass and Bannan before Fisayo Dele-Bashiru sent Windass clear on 24 minutes and he beat the keeper at his near post with an angled effort from six yards.
David Stockdale saved from Joe Aribo’s header in a rare Southampton threat with Windass forcing another save out of McCarthy at the other end.
However, the home side were level against the run of play in first-half stoppage time when Johnson fouled Moussa Djenepo in the box and James Ward-Prowse slammed home the resulting penalty.
It left Wednesday looking back at a half where the stats showed us with 10 shots and five on target, compared to the Saints with only three efforts but all on target.
However, Southampton looked much brighter at the start of the second half, with Adam Armstrong twice going close early on.
Then we almost gifted the home side a second goal just after the hour mark when Stockdale’s poor clearance found sub Walcott, his first effort was cleared off the line by Michael Ihiekwe and the defender blocked again from the rebound.
It was Southampton who continued to create the second-half chances, while Wednesday struggled to match our promising first 45, and the Saints almost got the winner twice in the closing minutes, Stuart Amstrong hitting the bar from just inside the box and then Stockdale saving from Walcott.
Then came the drama and lottery of penalties, with Iorfa missing the 12th spot kick to signal Wednesday’s exit at 6-5.
Stockdale, Iorfa, Ihiekwe, McGuinness, Johnson, Dele-Bashiru (Smith 86), Bannan, Bakinson (Vaulks 75), Paterson, Windass (James 75), Gregory. Unused subs: Charles, Agbontohoma, Brown, Shipston, Cadamarteri.