The first round of this season’s Carabao Cup has drawn to a close. A total of 35 games were played across the week with just the Football League teams entered at this stage. However, those who safely made the passage to Round Two could now come up against the Premier League sides that are not in European action this campaign.
Carabao Cup Round-Up – First Round
Mansfield Win Big Against Higher Opposition
Mansfield Town secured their place in the second round by putting six goals past League One outfit Accrington Stanley. David Flitcroft’s side were three goals to the good by half-time and made the game safe with a similar, goal-scoring performance in the second half.
Accrington initially took the lead in the game through Sam Finley. However, by the 13th minute, Mansfield had turned it around with two penalties from Nottingham Forest loanee Tyler Walker.
Otis Khan added another before the 20-minute mark and Walker’s hat-trick was completed on the stroke of half-time as his left-footed shot beat Jonny Maxted in the Accrington goal.
Last season’s top scorer, Danny Rose, added a fifth just after the hour thanks to an assist from CJ Hamilton, and Hamilton got on the scoresheet himself in stoppage time as he fired into the bottom corner from just inside the area.
Middlesbrough Scrape Through on Penalties Against League Two Side
Middlesbrough and Notts County served up a first-round thriller at the Riverside Stadium as they produced a 3-3 draw, with Championship Boro going through on penalties.
County took the lead for the first of three times in the 20th minute as 19-year-old Tom Crawford netted, but the hosts were soon level through Ashley Fletcher’s tap-in.
Veteran striker Jon Stead then regained the lead for the visitors but Boro again levelled before half-time through Enes Mahumtovic.
Stead scored his second and County’s third just past the hour mark, but Fletcher matched his counterpart by drawing the home side level again ten minutes later.
Middlesbrough scored their first four penalties of the shoot-out with County scoring their first three before Daniel Walker had his effort saved by Andy Lonergan to win it and see Boro through, just about.
Five-Star Blackburn Thrash Carlisle
Adam Armstrong and Bradley Dack both scored twice as a rampant Blackburn Rovers comfortably sealed their Round Two place with a win over Carlisle United.
The visitors were up by two goals after just six minutes of the game thanks to Armstrong’s first and Dack pouncing on a mistake by goalkeeper Joe Fryer.
Hallam Hope pulled one back for the hosts with a superb long-range effort, but Rovers soon restored their two-goal cushion through Dack’s second.
Kasey Palmer, on-loan from Chelsea, made it four before half-time and Armstrong added his second early in the second half to seal a solid win for the visitors.
Elsewhere in…
The Northern Section
Nottingham Forest left it late to seal their passage to Round Two, scoring a stoppage-time equaliser against League Two side Bury before defeating them 10-9 on penalties. Other shoot-out wins went to Fleetwood, Macclesfield and Hull after they all drew 1-1 with Crewe, Bradford and Sheffield United respectively.
Blackpool came from behind to beat Championship Barnsley at home, Rochdale comfortably beat Grimsby 2-0 and Leeds United continued their excellent start to the season with a 2-1 win over Bolton.
Frank Lampard’s Derby County side beat Oldham courtesy of a Sam Graham own goal and Mason Mount’s second of the season. Lincoln City also won on the road as they put four without reply past league counterparts Port Vale.
There were 3-1 home wins for Rotherham and Preston as they beat Wigan and Morecambe respectively, while Walsall also won by the same score away from home against Tranmere.
Burton and Doncaster both won 2-1 away from home as they beat Scunthorpe and Shrewsbury and finally, in Thursday’s game, Sunderland were beaten 2-0 at home by Sheffield Wednesday.
The Southern Section
Exeter City, Cheltenham, Millwall, and Wycombe were all victorious on penalties after draws in their games. Colchester, Ipswich, Gillingham and Northampton were the unlucky victims of those games.
There were big wins for Newport County and MK Dons. Newport were 4-1 away winners over Cambridge while the Dons comfortably beat a youthful Charlton side at Stadium MK.
Only one Bristol club made it through to the second round as City lost 1-0 at home to Plymouth, while Rovers were 2-1 victors over Crawley Town.
A late surge from Norwich meant they avoided a shoot-out at home to Stevenage as Christoph Zimmerman and Teemu Pukki scored in the closing ten minutes of a 3-1 win, while Oxford United went through thanks to a 2-0 win over Coventry.
AFC Wimbledon came from behind to beat Portsmouth at Fratton Park, QPR brushed aside Peterborough and Forest Green were winners at Swindon.
Finally, Championship side Brentford were the winners away at Southend in a goal-fest. The Bees came out on top, 4-2.
Stats You May Have Missed
- Brentford have now conceded in their last 27 League Cup games, last keeping a clean sheet in 2001, a 1-0 win against Norwich.
- Fleetwood won their first League Cup game since their promotion to the Football League in 2012.
- Mansfield’s 6-1 win over Accrington was their highest League Cup margin of victory against higher opposition.
- Bradley Dack had an involvement in all five of Blackburn’s goals against Carlisle and has now been involved in 15 goals in his last 14 appearances.
- Aston Villa have won 11 of their last 14 League Cup games against lower opposition.
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