U21s: Blackpool 1-1 Aston Villa (17-18 pens)

Aston Villa booked their place in the last 16 of the Vertu Trophy in dramatic fashion, with a penalty-shoot-out victory over League One side Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Nothing separated the two sides in 90 minutes. After a goalless first period, Elliot Embleton broke the deadlock less than a minute into the second half for Blackpool.

But the Young Lions roared back heroically, drawing level through a composed finish from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, to send the game to penalties. 

After a mammoth affair, it was Villa who prevailed, 18-17, Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel’s decisive kick striking the post to ensure Josep Gombau’s side would face Bradford City in the next round.

The first half proved a largely uneventful affair, though it was the Villans who controlled large parts of it.

Just five minutes in, only a well-timed recovering tackle from Blackpool’s Zac Ashworth denied Bradley Burrowes, who had snuck in behind and threatened to get a shot away on Richard O’Donnell’s goal.

Ten minutes later, it was the turn of Travis Patterson to go close for Villa. After nicking the ball back just inside Villa’s half, the left-back drove forward and fired a long-range effort goalwards, which cleared O’Donnell’s crossbar by a few feet.

The Seasiders grow into the affair and looked to assert their authority on home turf, albeit without creating anything clear-cut. It was again Gombau’s side who searched for the lead as half-time approached, Ben Broggio pulling back inside the area but proving unable to locate a claret shirt.

But Blackpool emerged for the second half a different animal, and were ahead within a minute of the restart.

Hayden Coulson won the ball back high up the field for Pool and fed Elliot Embleton, who made no mistake in arrowing his effort into the far corner.

The hosts were well on top at this stage, and had quickly taken control of the encounter, peppering the Villa goal with attempts to add to their lead.

After Dominic Thompson’s cross was hacked clear, captain Jordan Rhodes nodded a header inches wide of Oli Zych’s far post.

Villa did retain their threat on the counter attack, however, Burrowes’ pace troubling the Blackpool backline, though his dinked effort didn’t have enough on it to worry O’Donnell.

The Young Lions would not lie down, and showed tremendous heart and character to claw their way back into the game.

The introductions of George Hemmings, Luke Lynch and Mason Cotcher gave the visitors renewed attacking impetus, and they were rewarded for their pressure with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.

Lynch’s sustained pressure on the Blackpool backline saw him nick the ball back and pull across goal for Jimoh-Aloba, who steered a sublime finish into the far corner, to the delight of his teammates.

And things could have got even better for Gombau’s side moments later, as the lively Cotcher and then Patterson drew a brilliant double save from O’Donnell, before the pair combined with one another, the latter sending his flicked effort off the far post and away.

Villa pushed deep into the four minutes of added time to find a winner, forcing O’Donnell into another strong stop after skipper Todd Alcock’s corner was headed goalwards with the game’s final act, though the Seasiders held on to force a penalty shoot-out.

In a mammoth encounter, just three penalties were not converted out of 38 taken. Albie Morgan dragged his effort wide with Blackpool’s second kick, before Aidan Borland’s effort was stopped by the feet of Richard O’Donnell.

The kicks kept coming until the score reached a staggering 18-17 to Villa. Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, taking his second of the shoot-out, stepped up but rattled the post, to send Gombau’s jubilant young side into the last 16 of the Vertu Trophy. 

Aston Villa: Zych; Rowe, Smith, Swinkels, Patterson; Alcock (c), Borland; Pierre (Lynch 65), Jimoh-Aloba (Taylor 89), Broggio (Hemmings 65); Burrowes (Cotcher 73). Subs (not used): Emery (GK); Amundsen-Day, Khedr. 

Pens: Taylor (scored), Alcock (scored), Borland (saved), Lynch (scored), Smith (scored), Swinkels (scored), Cotcher (scored), Hemmings (scored), Patterson (scored), Rowe (scored), Zych (scored), Taylor (scored), Alcock (scored), Borland (scored), Lynch (scored), Smith (scored), Swinkels (scored), Cotcher (scored), Hemmings (scored).

Blackpool: O’Donnell; Gabriel, Sassi, Ashworth, Thompson (Ballard 80); Embleton (Richardson 85), Finnigan (Morgan 80), Norburn, Coulson; Rhodes (c), Bondo (Fletcher 71). Subs (not used): Tyrer (GK); Penninton, Nwankwo. 

Pens: Rhodes (scored), Morgan (missed), Fletcher (scored), Ballard (scored), Ashworth (scored), Coulson (scored), Norburn (scored), Gabriel (scored), Richardson (scored), Sassi (scored), O’Donnell (scored), Rhodes (scored), Morgan (scored), Fletcher (scored), Ballard (scored), Ashworth (scored), Coulson (scored), Norburn (scored), Gabriel (missed).