05 September 2020

Simon Eastwood the penalty hero as Oxford knock out AFC Wimbledon

05 September 2020

Simon Eastwood saved a penalty late in normal time and two spot kicks in the shoot-out as Oxford beat fellow League One side AFC Wimbledon 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 Carabao Cup draw at the Kassam Stadium.

Cameron Brannagan fired the U’s ahead from 16 yards on 63 minutes when keeper Connal Trueman got a hand to the shot but couldn’t keep it out.

The visitors levelled four minutes later with on-loan Brighton forward Ryan Longman turning in from close range and Oxford’s James Henry unable to clear it off the line.

And AFC Wimbledon must have been thinking they were heading for a win when the referee awarded them a spot kick after Anthony Forde blocked Nesta Guinness-Walker’s run into the box.

But Eastwood dived to his left to keep out Anthony Hartigan’s 84th-minute penalty.

Oxford gave a debut to 22-year-old Rob Atkinson at centre half following Rob Dickie’s move to QPR.

Trueman turned aside a free-kick from Brannagan in the opening minutes.

Eastwood saved a Terrel Thomas drive with his legs and kept out Luke O’Neill’s close-range header.

Eastwood was the hero again in the shoot-out, denying Callum Reilly and Guinness-Walker before Brannagan notched the winning penalty for United.

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