Debutant Luke Southwood shines in shootout to help Bolton knock out Mansfield

Posted Wednesday, August 14, 2024 by PA

Debutant keeper Luke Southwood was the hero as Bolton survived a tense penalty shootout to beat fellow League One side Mansfield in the Carabao Cup.

After the match had finished 1-1, Davis Keillor-Dunn netting a late leveller to cancel out George Thomason’s opener for the hosts, Bolton progressed 5-4 on penalties.

Southwood, deputising for Nathan Baxter, saved a sudden-death spot-kick from Will Swan after the Stags twice squandered chances to steal the tie during the shootout.

Thomason and Randell Williams missed their penalties to give Nigel Clough’s team two opportunities to progress.

However, Hiram Boateng blasted over from 12 yards before Northern Ireland international Southwood saved from Aaron Lewis.

That sent proceedings to sudden death, where Jay Matete and Josh Dacres-Cogley scored for Bolton either side of Calum MacDonald’s successful effort for the visitors, before Southwood kept out Swan’s effort to send Bolton through.

Thomason will not want to remember his penalty but his 68th-minute goal was a memorable one.

When fellow sub Dion Charles was fouled by Deji Oshilaja, Thomason fired a 20-yard free-kick into the Stags’ defensive wall. However, the visitors, still without a win on Bolton soil since 1987, could not prevent the Trotters midfielder from then smashing home a left-foot drive past Christy Pym via the underside of the crossbar.

Mansfield reached the last 16 of last season’s competition and gave themselves a chance of making progress again when Keillor-Dunn levelled seven minutes from time with an excellent angled low finish from 12 yards

Pym saved twice in succession from Aaron Collins late on but his heroics were finally overshadowed by Southwood in the shootout.