Penalty Drama at Turf Moor
Burnley and Notts County shared the spoils in the Round of 128 of the League Cup, finishing 1:1 after 120 minutes before penalties decided the tie. C. Roberts opened the scoring for Burnley just before half-time, only for Z. Flemming to level moments after the break. The match ended with a penalty shootout that stretched into its fifth round, both sides missing twice each.
By then, the pattern was already set. Burnley held 74 per cent of possession, threw 21 crosses at the goal, and created only one big chance. Notts County sat deeper, made 26 clearances, and forced the hosts to work harder than their passing numbers suggested. And here's the thing — when you control the ball like that but can't finish, the away end never stops talking.
The goals came at natural breaks in the game. Roberts found space in the 42nd minute, probably after one of Burnley's 142 passes into the final third. Flemming's equaliser in the 48th felt like a response, not a reaction. Neither side took many risks after that, which is fair enough in a cup match where a single mistake ends your night.
Substitutions kept coming after the hour mark. Burnley brought on L. Ndlovu, O. Cooper, U. Raghouber, A. Ramsey, and O. Sonne between the 66th and 67th minutes. Notts County responded with C. Roberts, N. Tsaroulla, M. Edwards, and J. Bruun Larsen. By the time extra time arrived, both managers had used their bench.
The statistics tell a story that doesn't quite match the result. Burnley registered eight shots on target with an expected goals figure of 0.85. Notts County managed two shots on target with 0.35 xG. Three shots were blocked, four corners won, and one red card would have changed everything — but none came.
Looking at the penalty sequence, both teams missed twice. E. Acquah, H. Mejbri, and J. Bedeau failed for Burnley. H. Mejbri and J. Bedeau also missed for the visitors. The rest found the net: Flemming, Campbell, Amdouni, Grant, Tresor Ndayishimiye, J. Evans, and K. Walker all converted. The tie is still alive somewhere, though the data suggests whoever wins next time will do so on merit, not luck.
