Conor Haughey describes Fleetwood’s winning penalty against Arsenal as ‘like a dream’

Fleetwood Town defender Conor Haughey has described scoring the winning penalty against Arsenal at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday evening as dreamlike. BBC Sport NI reported that the 19-year-old’s fifth kick sealed a 5-3 shootout win and sent the League Two club into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The match finished 1-1 before going straight to penalties, the Daily Mirror reported. Haughey told BBC Sport NI that messages from friends and family back home in Belfast left his phone unable to work for two to three hours after the game. He said he woke the next morning still trying to take in what had happened.

How Haughey’s penalty decided the shootout

The BBC reported that Aaron Loupalo-Bi put Fleetwood ahead before Viktor Gyokeres equalised. Arsenal’s Max Dowman was sent off, leaving the sides with different numbers of eligible players for the shootout. Fleetwood nominated Jake Batty to sit out the kicks so each side had 10 players available, the BBC explained.

Reaction in Belfast and at Fleetwood

Haughey’s excited post-match interview also circulated widely on social media. Asked by BBC Sport NI’s Thomas Kane about his language in the video, Haughey said there had been too many emotions at once. The Northern Ireland Under-21 international moved to Fleetwood from Glentoran in summer 2023; the BBC said he had made his Glentoran debut at 15.

Former Glentoran academy director Andy Mathieson praised Haughey’s composure, telling the Mirror: ‘Nothing ever fazed him.’ The Mirror also reported that Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor, who had coached Haughey in the junior ranks, had not expected his side to beat Arsenal. Lawlor said the players and staff celebrated together afterwards.

Fleetwood’s next opponent was due to be decided in the quarter-final draw after Chelsea’s game against Liverpool on Wednesday night. Asked whom he wanted at Highbury Stadium, Haughey answered: ‘Man City.’