Sheff Utd 0-0 Lincoln City (2-3 pens): Blades’ misery compounded by defeat in Carabao Cup | OneFootball

Lincoln beat Sheffield United on penalties.

Lincoln City’s Lukas Jensen was the hero as the League One outfit continued Sheffield United’s awful start to the new season with a 3-2 Carabao Cup penalty shootout win at Bramall Lane.

After a dull 90 minutes finished goalless, the Imps ‘keeper kept out spot-kicks from Louis Marsh and Benie Traore to send his team through to the Carabao Cup third round.

This was not the performance or result that the Blades will have been hoping for after they lost their opening three Premier League games of the new campaign and head coach Paul Heckingbottom will have been presented with more questions than answers.

Mark Kennedy’s side will now dream of drawing one of the big boys in the next round after a deserved win.

It was no surprise that United did not fire as they fell in line with the majority of Premier League clubs by making wholesale changes to their side for the visit of the Imps.

And that had an inevitable effect on the game as the Blades were unable to play with any fluency and Lincoln more than held their own.

Reeco Hackett had a curling shot saved by Adam Davies, while the visitors also wasted several good moments on the counter-attack.

The Blades had to wait until the 51st minute to have a shot on target as Ollie Norwood sent debutant Cameron Archer through on goal, but the striker’s aim was off and he shot straight at Jensen.

Lincoln finally cut the Blades open on a transition after Daniel Mandroui’s incisive pass was perfect for Teddy Bishop, but he could only stab wide from close range.

Sheffield United looked the likeliest to force a late goal which would avoid the shootout lottery, but John Egan flashed a header wide and Auston Trusty could only plant his free header straight at Jensen.

That meant it would be decided from the spot and after Jensen had kept out poor Marsh and Traore efforts, the job was done when Egan skied the final penalty of the night.

Sheffield United Lincoln City