Conor Haughey recounts volunteering for decisive penalty in Fleetwood's Arsenal upset

Fleetwood Town defender Conor Haughey has described how he volunteered for the penalty that completed his side's Carabao Cup victory over Arsenal, telling BBC Sport NI that he trusted himself to take the decisive kick. The 19-year-old converted Fleetwood's fifth attempt to seal a 5-3 shootout win on Tuesday and send the League Two club into the quarter-finals.

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Speaking to BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane, Haughey explained that four penalty takers had already been chosen when the coaches asked for another volunteer. He put himself forward and was assigned the fifth kick. Goalkeeper Jay Lynch then saved Bruno Guimaraes' attempt for Arsenal, giving Haughey the opportunity to settle the tie. He said Lynch's intervention had eased the pressure before he stepped up.

Haughey sent Arsenal goalkeeper Illan Meslier the wrong way and put his shot into the top corner at Highbury Stadium. The winning penalty prompted supporters to run on to the pitch, and the defender headed towards friends and relatives who had travelled from Belfast. He told the BBC he had already decided to run over to them if he scored.

The shootout followed Viktor Gyokeres' equaliser after Aaron Loupalo-Bi had given Fleetwood the lead. Fleetwood, who sit 84 places below Arsenal in the football pyramid, overcame the Premier League champions to advance. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill was in attendance, with Arsenal's Ceadach O'Neill registering an assist on his first start for the club. Haughey and Ceadach O'Neill had previously been room-mates at the JD Academy.

A Northern Ireland Under-21 international, Haughey joined Fleetwood in the summer of 2023. Before that move, he became Glentoran's youngest-ever player when he made his debut aged 15 against Lisburn Distillery in September 2022. His account of Tuesday's win, reported by BBC Sport NI journalist Lauren McCann, adds a personal perspective to the defender's decisive contribution.

Haughey said congratulatory messages had overwhelmed his phone for two to three hours after the match. By the following day, the scale of the result still had not fully registered with him. He also said Fleetwood had approached Arsenal with a clear game plan and had followed it through, describing the victory as significant for both the players and the club's supporters.