Carlisle United suffer penalty heartbreak in FA Youth Cup thriller against Oldham Athletic

The Blues lost 5-3 in the shoot-out after a high-scoring epic at Brunton Park.

It needed spot-kicks to separate the sides after the game ended 4-4 after extra-time, with new Blues first-team manager Keith Millen watching from the directors' box.

Two-goal Sam Fishburn saw his shoot-out attempt saved by Luke Southerington and with all other spot-kicks converted, the Latics went through.

Keeper Southerington had already been Oldham's unlikely hero by scoring a 96th minute header to take the game into extra-time at 3-3.

Before then, United had led three times in the 90 minutes through Fishburn, Charlie Watt and Jack Ellis - while they themselves had to to come from behind in extra-time.

Striker Fishburn also had a penalty saved in normal time while both sides hit the woodwork in a non-stop encounter.

It was Mark Birch's Blues who made the perfect start when Fishburn peeled into space to meet Watt’s corner from the right and head clinically past keeper Southerington after just three minutes.

Sam Fishburn, second right, celebrates his Carlisle opener

Oldham used the ball brightly as they tried to fight back, with the impressive Harry Vaughan often a threat, United clearing off the line in the seventh minute.

United centre-backs Ellis and Max Kilsby got in the way of further Oldham attacks before visiting captain Asa Hughes went off injured, to be replaced by Chapman.

Carlisle then twice had opportunities to double their lead. First, Fishburn headed a Watt free-kick against the bar, and United were then awarded a penalty for a foul at the back post - but Southerington guessed correctly as he dived to his left to keep out Fishburn’s low effort.

Frazer Cookson later blocked a Fishburn header in the six-yard box while Ellis and keeper Gabe Breeze kept out further Latics attempts as Carlisle struggled to exert control on the tie.

But the visitors did then level in the 45th minute when a corner was pulled back outside the box, the resulting shot deflected and sub Llyton Chapman turned onto it and shot past Breeze.

Watt fired over the bar after the break but the skilful midfielder served up something special with his next attempt to restore United's lead on 59 minutes.

Charlie Watt celebrates after his free-kick made it 2-1 to United

He stepped up and curled a superb left-footed free-kick past the diving Southerington from 25 yards.

But United were quickly pegged back a second time when, three minutes later, Oldham's Isaac Modi found Jim Simms on the break and he had time to pick his spot as he shot confidently past Breeze to make it 2-2.

It was end-to-end stuff as United threatened again when Nugent chipped Dylan Garvey into a good position, only for Oldham to deflect the shot wide, Kilsby’s volley from the corner saved.

It was then Oldham’s turn to hit the woodwork when Vaughan found Aaron Atkinson in space but his low finish hit the inside of the right-hand post with 15 minutes to go.

And Watt’s set-piece skills returned to the fore two minutes later as United then took the lead for a third time, as his excellent free-kick from the left was headed powerfully home by Ellis from close range.

Jack Ellis (No5) heads home to make it 3-2 to Carlisle

Nic Bollado came close to a United fourth when set up by Fishburn but Southerington dived to push his shot around the post.

Carlisle looked set to hold on for victory - but there was unlikely drama in the final seconds.

Goalkeeper Southerington, who had come up for a 96th-minute Oldham free-kick, met Vaughan’s delivery with a superb header that was too good for Breeze at the Waterworks End.

That forced extra-time, the early stages of which saw Oldham's Cookson have a goal disallowed for offside before Breeze superbly denied Kofi Moore.

But then Oldham got their noses in front for the first time in the tie when United struggled to clear and Atkinson made space to shoot before firing into the top corner from outside the box.

Carlisle, though, summoned a response themselves and Fishburn made it 4-4 on the stroke of half-time in extra-time with a close-range finish after a great run from sub DJ Taylor.

Oldham celebrate

Simms fired a good chance over for the visitors in the closing minutes with the tie then going to penalties.

Fishburn saw United's first effort in the shoot-out saved by Southerington kick, after Simms had netted the opener for Oldham.

Mason Hardy, Kilsby and Ryan Carr all scored for Carlisle but Oldham were faultless with their kicks as Moore, Atkinson and  Oliver Kilner all netted before Modi fired the winning kick.

United: Breeze, Potts (Swinburn 106), Bell, Carr, Ellis, Kilsby, Watt, Garvey (Taylor 90), Fishburn, Bollado (Gordon 117), Nugent (Hardy 70). Not used: Fitzpatrick, Simons.

Goals: Fishburn 3, 105; Watt 59, Ellis 77.

Booked: Carr, Watt.

Oldham: Southerington, Turner (Spencer 94), Kilner, Hughes (Chapman 29), Modi, Edwards (Moore 82), Simms, Vaughan, Badby (Okeke 64), Atkinson, Cookson. Not used: Danielwicz, Davidson, Forshaw.

Goals: Chapman 45, Simms 62, Southerington 90, Atkinson 99.

Booked: Turner, Simms.

Ref: Graeme Hopper.

Crowd: 327.