SOUTHEND United's under 18 side progressed to the third round of the EFL Youth Alliance Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out success against Luton Town at Boots & Laces on Friday afternoon.

It had looked as though Blues would be knocked out when the Hatters took the lead in the first minute of stoppage time during the rearranged second round tie.

But a trialist forward poked in from close-range two minutes later to level at 2-2 and set up a tense denouement.

Danny Heath’s side – who had initially equalised in the first half through Henry Sandat’s second successful spot-kick of the season – had also seen defender Romeo Ebondo sent off for receiving a second yellow card three minutes from time, but they prevailed in an eventful shoot-out.

Goalkeeper Fin Purcell, who had enjoyed an excellent 90 minutes, was the hero, saving two of Luton’s penalties and giving Mo Amir the chance to seal the victory with Southend’s fifth spot-kick.

However, the midfielder was penalised for stopping in his run-up and the tie went to sudden death.

Smai Norman, Purcell and substitute Alfie Terry made no mistake from 12 yards to add to conversions from Max Fiddes, Omari Williams and Sandat again during the regulation portion of the shoot-out before Luton missed their eighth penalty to confirm Southend’s progress.

And Blues coach Danny Heath was pleased with the character on show. 

“The message to the boys is never give up," said Heath.

"Until that final whistle has gone, anything can happen.

“I might have looked calm during the shoot-out, but I wasn’t.

"I was very nervous, but I always felt confident in the technical ability that our boys have got.

"I felt we’d score than we’d miss, and you always knew Fin would save one or two, albeit they’ve missed the target for the win.”

An exciting afternoon began with Purcell’s first-minute clearance being charged down by a Luton attacker.

But any threat of an opening goal was snuffed out by captain Patrick Droney, who got back to clear, and there would be many more examples of this type of anticipation throughout the game.

Blues did build some territorial pressure inside the opening 10 minutes, but Luton dealt with a series of crosses easily and Fiddes failed to tee-up Amir with a successful pass inside the penalty area in the sixth minute.

Sandat similarly over-hit a through-ball intended for Fiddes five minutes later.

Although Amir drilled a 25-yard shot into the goalkeeper’s gloves in the 12th minute, it was the visitors – who arrived in south-east Essex with an unblemished record of five wins from five Youth Alliance matches for the season – who were enjoying the lion’s share of possession.

Ibrahim Kamara recovered well after being dispossessed in the penalty area to win the ball back, and a midfielder skewed wide following a left-wing free-kick on 14 minutes, before the Hatters took the lead a couple of moments later after a clumsy challenge by Ebondo.

The penalty – the first of 18 in total on the day – was dispatched into the roof of the net.

As the opening period progressed, Southend began to look more comfortable, although they were relieved when a forward dragged a shot across the face of goal following a diagonal pass in the 28th minute.

That chance came shortly after Amir had smashed over from a Sandat pass, and Sandat was to be involved again just after the half-hour mark as Blues levelled.

The second-year scholar was shoved over as he entered the penalty area, and he rifled home from the spot to make it 1-1.

That instigated a good spell for the hosts, with the Luton goalkeeper doing well to dive at the toecaps of Fiddes to prevent him from connecting with a slide-rule Williams pass and then standing tall to thwart the first-year forward again after he had been picked out by Amir’s precise pass.

In between, Amir himself delivered a fierce strike narrowly the wrong side of the left-hand upright.

Purcell made a good low save in first-half stoppage time, but the Blues custodian would have much more work to do after the half-time interval, starting in the 50th minute when he superbly turned a Luton shot out for a corner with his legs.

An overhead bicycle kick also flew wide for the Hatters, but Blues responded and Sandat was unfortunate to be tackled as he sought to run onto a Fiddes pass in the 65th minute.

From the resulting corner, Williams found skipper Droney, who was denied a first competitive youth team goal when his skidding 25-yard strike was saved by the goalkeeper.

Fellow defender Norman then started the next move midway through the second half, striding through midfield before finding Sandat.

He passed to Fallows, whose first-time cross was cushioned back to Norman by Fiddes, only for a defender to make a crucial block.

Williams was then brilliantly tackled in the penalty area after Fallows had seized on a misplaced pass.

As the game moved into the final 20 minutes, Luton ratcheted up the pressure.

However, they came up against an inspired Purcell, who somehow managed to divert a close-range finish over the crossbar following a right-wing centre.

Another strike was deflected out before Purcell bravely dived at the feet of a forward to stop him scoring, with the referee waving away appeals for a penalty.

Heath made attacking changes, bringing on Alfie Terry and the trialist forward for Jacob Bland and Fallows, but still Luton pressed on, and Purcell made a fine stop with his legs following a left-wing run.

Ebondo and Norman then made important interventions to keep Luton away from Purcell’s goal before a 20-yard shot was fired over.

Then, with three minutes remaining, Ebondo was cautioned tor a second time after committing a foul on the edge of the penalty area and Blues were down to 10 men.

Purcell made a point-blank save from a close-range header seconds later, and the rebound was chipped over, but he was finally beaten when a driven free-kick found its way into the area in the first minute of stoppage time.

Purcell would have his revenge, though, first as he delivered the free-kick that Droney contested and the trialist forced over the line to equalise, and then in the shoot-out.

“The performance was good for 70 minutes and in the defensive end of the pitch credit goes to Fin Purcell because he made some crucial saves during the second half and then again in the penalty shoot-out, " said Heath.

"Overall I’m pleased with the performance and over the moon to get into the next round."

Southend United U18s: Purcell, Ebondo, Norman, Bland (Terry 78),  Droney, Amir, Kamara, Williams, Fiddes, Sandat, Fallows (Trialist, 78).

Subs not used: Cerullo, Bangs & Bragg.

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