While the exhausted players of Brockenhurst and Andover Town were attempting to conclude their Hampshire Senior Cup tie last week, there was nobody in the crowd or the teams aware that they were witnessing a world record.

After two hours of football produced no goals, the deciding shoot out produced 29, beating the previous record by two.

Brock’s players netted 15 without missing while Andover netted 14 before their 15th from Claudio Herbert was saved, thus geving the home side the tie.

Subsequent delving into FA records and Wikipedia has revealed that the longest penalty shoot-out in a first class match was 20-19 between Argentina Juniors and Racing Club although five kicks were missed.

Genderbirligi and Galatasaray in Turkey finished 17-19 with one kick missed but the most penalties needed to settle an adult match was 44 in a Norfolk Primary Cup tie in 2000 though five were missed.

In the FA Cup Tunbridge Wells beat Littlehampton 16-15 with five kicks missed and in other competitions Dagenham and Redbridge defeated Leyton Orient in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie after 27 consecutiive successful kicks.

The Brockenhurst/Andover Town tie produced 29 successful kicks thus eclipsing the record.

Finally the Mickleover Lightning Blue Sox v Chellaston Boys B in the Derby Community League U10 Cup had 66 penalties and the exhausted youngsters only managed to score three of them, Mickleover winning 2-1. Why they stopped at 66 is unclear although it may well have been well passed their bedtime by then!