Birthday boy Frank Nouble declared Colchester United’s superb penalty shoot-out victory over Premier League giants Tottenham as meaning “everything” to the club.
Nouble netted one of the spot kicks as the U's beat Tottenham 4-3 on penalties, after Tuesday night's Carabao EFL Cup third round tie had ended goalless at a jam-packed JobServe Community Stadium.
It was a heart-stopping moment for Nouble, when keeper Paulo Gazzaniga came close to saving his shot, but the ball trickled over the line.
Front-runner Nouble took the second spot kick for the U's, after Luke Norris had converted the opener, but it was Academy product Tom Lapslie who tucked home the vital last spot kick to send home fans into raptures.
My penalty may have only just gone in, but no one remembers how it goes in, just that it went in!" insisted Nouble, who turned 28 on the day.
"I'm so happy for Tom (Lapslie). He's a local lad, and it ended up being a great penalty from Laps, after Lucas Moura had missed for them.
"It feels good, and we're all ecstatic. I'm really happy, but we've got to come down from that now, after waiting to swap shirts 9with Tottenham players) at the end of the match.
"I thought we dug really deep, and were a match for them. Everyone to a man was brilliant today. It wasn't all one-sided, especially in the second half. We used up so much energy, but we were not just trying to defend it at the end.
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"It's been a good birthday for me. I've had a few good birthdays in the past, but this is up there with the best of them.
"It means everything to us.
"Now we have to try and keep this winning run going. We have to take it into this weekend," added Nouble, with reference to Saturday's League Two trip to Macclesfield.
It has already been a sensational Carabao Cup run for John McGreal's side, who had dumped Premier League hosts Crystal Palace out of the competition in the previous round, again after a goalless draw and a penalty shoot-out.
Now the U's are in the last 16, having ironically been knocked out at the first round stage for the previous eight seasons.
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