Ex-Motherwell goalkeeper Mark Gillespie tells of relief at going from zero to hero

Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey eventually levelled the scores three minutes from the end of normal time, though, setting the stage for Gillespie to redeem himself during the ensuing penalty shootout, an opportunity he seized to spare the Magpies’ blushes and send them through to the competition’s quarter-finals in December.

Talking to the club’s website after the game, Newcastle-born Gillespie, with Motherwell from 2018 until July this year, owned up to his early error and told of his relief about being able to make amends later on by keeping out striker Ryan Taylor’s penalty kick.

“Obviously, I’ll put my hands up and take responsibility for a poor first goal,” he said.

“To happen early on, it shocked us a little bit, but to be fair to the lads, they kept going.

“Newport made it difficult. They’ve got a good record against higher sides, so we had to just dig in.

“I think I owe Jonjo a pint this weekend because he got us out of jail with an unbelievable goal, but that’s football, and I managed to get something on one of the pens and we go through.”

Looking back at the uphill struggle his home-town club faced for almost all of the game, Gillespie, third choice for United after Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow, added: “I’ve been at lower clubs and that’s what you want, an early goal, and we gifted them that, but the lads, especially in the second half, remained calm.

“We thought we’d get a goal and thankfully we did.

“Obviously, with penalties, it’s a lottery. I’m happy to have saved one. Maybe I could have got another, but the lads stuck them away and we go on to the quarter-finals.

“I’ve been a fan for a long time and I can’t remember many League Cup quarter-finals so I’ll take it.

“We’re one of eight teams left in the competition, so why not?”