Preston pull off Carabao Cup shock on penalties against Fulham

Preston North End goalkeeper Ryan Ledson saved the decisive penalty to send Championship Preston through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Premier League Fulham.

The match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Ched Evans giving the hosts the lead before Harry Wilson equalised, meaning it went to a penalty shootout.

Fulham missed four of their 16 spot-kicks, with Ledson denying Manor Solomon from 12 yards to spark wild celebrations among the 11,000 Preston fans at Deepdale.

The result is a major upset, with Fulham having reached the final of the competition last season and Preston having won just one of their six games in the Championship this season.

Preston will now face either Blackburn Rovers or Hartlepool United in the fourth round, while Fulham's attention will turn to their Premier League match against Brentford on Saturday.

**Key Points** * Preston North End beat Fulham 16-15 on penalties in the Carabao Cup third round. * The match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Ched Evans giving Preston the lead before Harry Wilson equalised. * Preston goalkeeper Ryan Ledson saved the decisive penalty from Manor Solomon. * The result is a major upset, with Fulham having reached the final of the competition last season. * Preston will now face either Blackburn Rovers or Hartlepool United in the fourth round. **Reaction** Preston manager Ryan Lowe said: "I'm so proud of the players. They showed great character and resilience to come back from behind and win on penalties. "We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we believed in ourselves and we got the job done. "This is a massive result for the club and the fans. We're now in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and we're looking forward to the next challenge." Fulham manager Marco Silva said: "I'm disappointed with the result, but I'm proud of the players. They fought hard and created chances, but we weren't clinical enough in front of goal. "We also made some mistakes in the penalty shootout, which cost us in the end. "We need to learn from this experience and move on. We have a big game against Brentford on Saturday and we need to be ready for that." **Conclusion** Preston's victory over Fulham is a reminder that anything can happen in the Carabao Cup. The competition is often seen as a chance for lower-league teams to cause an upset, and Preston have certainly done that. Preston will now be hoping to continue their cup run and reach the latter stages of the competition. They have a tough fourth-round tie against either Blackburn Rovers or Hartlepool United, but they will be confident of causing another upset.