Horvath’s heroics stun Leeds as Sheffield Wednesday pull off Carabao Cup shock

Premier League Leeds were embarrassingly knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a callow shadow side fielded by Sheffield Wednesday after a dramatic penalty shootout.

After failing to put away a side whose outfield players had an average age of 20 and a half in 90 minutes, Leeds succumbed in the spot-kick lottery. Owls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath saved from Joel Piroe and Sean Longstaff and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put his penalty over the bar and into a deserted Kop to hand the Owls a logic-defying win.

It took a late goal from Leeds substitute Jayden Bogle to take the tie that far after a second-half own goal from Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow in front of a crowd of just 7,801 at Hillsborough.

Wednesday’s disgruntled supporters chose this game to vote with their feet in their ongoing protest against the stewardship of owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The no-show for a Yorkshire derby which would ordinarily have attracted a big crowd was intended to hit the Thai tuna magnate in the pocket. The fans that stayed away were asked to give the money that would have been spent on a match ticket to charity instead.

Chansiri’s reluctance to sell the club until the asking price he wants is met has left the club in limbo after a summer of missed payments to staff, player departures and fee restrictions being placed on transfers by the EFL.

Whether it will make any difference only time will tell but the boycott succeeded in lending the occasion a strange backdrop.

Some Wednesday supporters did show but Hillsborough effectively became an away ground for the young team put out by manager Henrik Pedersen. “You laughed at us, now look at you,” sang the Leeds support.

While both clubs made nine changes from their respective league appointments last weekend, it was anything but a like-for-like swap.

Daniel Farke was able to introduce £50m-worth of his Leeds summer signings as Pedersen was forced to call on five teenagers from the Owls academy. For two of them – defender Cole McGhee and striker George Brown – it was their first taste of senior football.

Indeed, of the 241 league starts accrued by Wednesday’s outfield players, 234 of them belonged to one player – captain Lowe.

For Leeds, there was a first sighting of defenders Jaka Bijol and Seb Bornauw after their transfers from Udinese and Wolfsburg respectively. It was not a busy night for them.

Leeds predictably monopolised possession but it was to an energetic Wednesday’s credit that even though they lost Gabriel Otegbayo to a leg injury before the break they were still able to reach the interval on level terms.

Jayden Bogle fires home Leeds’ equaliser in the 81st minute. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

The best Leeds could manage in the opening period was a shot from USA international Brenden Aaronson from Noah Okafor’s deep cross that forced a save from compatriot Ethan Horvath in the Wednesday goal.

Indeed Lowe was only inches away from giving the home side the lead in added time with a free-kick that curled just wide.

Joel Piroe was similarly adjacent with a free-kick but with Leeds still unable to break the deadlock as the second half wore on, Farke called for back-up. Willy Gnonto and Calvert-Lewin were sent on just before the hour mark.

The pressure built and it seemed Wednesday had to crack but, remarkably on a rare raid upfield Lowe drove across a shot right-footed from a tight angle and Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow only succeeded in fumbling the ball into his own net.

A brilliant double save from Horvath thwarted first Okafor and then Gnonto as Leeds pressed for an equaliser. It finally came in the 81st minute as Gnonto worked in Bogle and the Leeds right-back finished low and hard.

Leeds pressed for a late winner but Calvert-Lewin stabbed an added-time chance wide with his calf and was then twice denied by Horvath before the spot-kick drama.

The Wednesday fans who had turned up went crazy for their baby Owlets.