Lukas Jensen was the penalty hero as Accrington Stanley made history by reaching the last four of the Papa Johns Trophy with a shoot-out win over Lincoln City – just one game from Wembley.

Aaron Pressley scored a double in the game but Imps captain Tom Hopper also scored two as the match finished 2-2 after 90 minutes to take the last eight clash into sudden death.

Jensen saved penalties from Danny Mandroiu and Max Sanders while Regan Poole hit the woodwork before Sean McConville slotted home the winning kick for a 3-1 shoot-out win.

The match was end to end in driving rain between the two League One sides.

Shaun Whalley almost gave the Reds a dream start on six minutes with Imps keeper Carl Rushworth miskicking a back pass and Whalley pounced on the loose ball but was unable to find the target from an angle.

However 40 seconds later the ball went straight up the other end and a back pass to Jensen was charged down by Hopper and it hit the Imps captain and bounced into the net to give the home side the lead.

Stanley hunted for the equaliser and Whalley broke quickly and tried to square to unmarked  Pressley but Adam Jackson’s block stopped a certain goal.

Daniel Mandroiu’s long range strike was pushed away by stretching Jensen before the Reds equalised on 37 minutes.

Dan Martin sent a long ball through to Brentford loan striker Pressley who ran onto it in the area and fired the ball low and hard into the bottom corner of the net for his first Stanley goal.

It continued to go from end to end with Jensen palming away another cross/shot while the Reds pressed around the Lincoln box.

The Imps started the second half strongly but Stanley appealed for a penalty when Rosaire Longelo was fouled, given just outside the area.

McConville’s ball in was almost turned into his own net by the Imps defender Paudie O’Connor but it went straight into Rushworth’s arms while Longelo curled an effort wide

Stanley took the lead on 72 minutes when Whalley was fouled in the area by O’Connor and Pressley stroked the penalty into the bottom corner of the net for a double on only his second appearance for the Reds.

The Imps levelled on 80 minutes when a Sanders cross was deflected in the area and looped up for Hopper to head home his second of the game.

Then came sudden death with Pressley and Liam Coyle scoring for the Reds before Shaun Whalley’s effort was saved and McConville slotted home the winning spot kick.

Stanley: Jensen, Astley, Conneely, Rodgers, Longelo, Hamilton, Martin, Coyle, McConville, Whalley, Pressley

Subs: Savin, Nolan, Perritt, Touray, Woods, Adekoya, Fernandes

Yellow: Conneely

Crowd: 2304 (61 asfc )