Huddersfield Town's Carabao Cup campaign got off to a dramatic start as they were edged out by Preston North End in a penalty shootout. The Terriers had taken the lead through Radinio Balker, but Jusef Erabi's equaliser sent the tie to penalties.
A Bright Start Which Went Sour
It took just 15 seconds for the home side to find an opening: Callum Lang ran onto a flick-on but dragged his shot wide almost erratically. On the 20-minute mark, a long ball was played over the top for Ashley Fletcher, who was brought down by Lewis Gibson with acres of space to run into.
What Happened?
Straight from the awarded free-kick, the ball was sent in towards Fletcher, whose header came back off the post with the rebound superbly blocked by Odel Offiah. 15 minutes later, the visitors found the breakthrough through Radinio Balker. The 27-year-old rose highest to flick his header past Daniel Iversen from Lasse Sorensen's set piece.
What Comes Next?
From the red card it was all Huddersfield Town: the Terriers dominated possession and kept applying pressure on a vulnerable Preston defence after Gibson's dismissal. On the brink of half-time Huddersfield threatened to find another when Ashley Fletcher met Sorensen's cross, but his header was cleared off the line.
