FOR a manager who appears to be trying his best to downplay the importance of the Carabao Cup, Tony Pulis now finds himself just three wins away from Wembley.

Despite making 11 changes at Deepdale, Pulis watched his Middlesbrough side follow up their first-round penalty shoot-out success over Notts County with another spot-kick win over Preston.

Boro displayed commendable mettle to twice come from behind in normal time, with Ashley Fletcher cancelling out Callum Robinson’s first-half effort and Marcus Tavernier scoring a cracker to haul the Teessiders level for a second time after Dimi Konstantopoulos’ error enabled Tom Barhuizen to score.

And Pulis’ much-changed side also summoned nerves of steel from the spot as they scored all of their penalties.

Grant Leadbitter, Rudy Gestede, Paddy McNair and Marcus Tavernier were all on target, with Robinson and Graham Burke skying penalty attempts for Preston. Dimi Konstantopoulos didn’t lay a glove on any of Preston’s efforts, but he didn’t have to. Three games down, Boro find themselves in the last-16 without having fielded their first-choice side in any of their matches. It will be interesting to see how Pulis reacts if his side pulls out one of the big boys in Saturday’s draw.

Pulis spent most of the summer bemoaning his inability to make signings, but in changing all 11 of his players last night, the Boro boss highlighted the strength of the squad at his disposal.

There aren’t many Championship clubs that could change an entire team yet still be able to call on experienced campaigners such as Fletcher, who has now scored in two of this season’s three League Cup games, McNair, Leadbitter and Gestede. Pulis also handed a debut to seasoned centre-half Danny Batth, so while he might have missed out on a number of summer targets, he will be stretching credulity if he starts to complain about a lack of options at any stage this season.

That said, however, it wasn’t plain sailing for Boro’s new-look line-up as they initially struggled to come to terms with Pulis’ switch back to a five-man defence.

McNair, a summer signing from Sunderland, looked especially uncomfortable in his wing-back berth, and there was even a point where Pulis switched the left-footed Sam McQueen to the right flank in an attempt to shore things up. That didn’t really work either, so the pair switched back.

The result was a steady flow of Preston chances before the break, and while former Newcastle defender Paul Huntington failed to seriously test the recalled Konstantopoulos with a couple of early headers, the hosts were ahead before the half-hour mark.

Alan Browne squared the ball from the right-hand side, and Robinson rolled around 16-year-old centre-half Nathan Wood before firing home from ten yards. Wood should probably have done better, although given that he was only completing his GCSEs in May, he can be excused a degree of defensive inexperience.

Boro’s two best chances to that stage had fallen to their wing-backs, but McNair directed a tame early effort straight at Chris Maxwell after some excellent wing play from Tavernier teed him up in the box, and McQueen slashed a first-time volley into the side-netting when he had time to take a touch.

The visitors needed a degree of composure, and it was supplied by Fletcher as he scored his third League Cup goal of the season to level the scores before the break.

Lewis Wing’s defence-splitting through ball unlocked the Preston backline, but there was still plenty for Fletcher to do as he raced into the area with a defender at his back. Having calmly rounded Maxwell, he used his body strength adeptly to hold off his opponent and slot home.

Both Fletcher and Gestede will hope to have more involvement in the Championship in the coming months, and the latter almost capped his first start of the season with a goal on the stroke of half-time. McNair whipped in an inviting cross, but Gestede’s diving header drifted narrowly wide of the upright.

That was a good effort from the striker, but his intervention shortly before the hour mark was markedly less impressive.

Maxwell parried Fletcher’s header from McQueen’s left-wing cross, but in doing so, the Preston goalkeeper diverted the ball straight to Gestede on the edge of the six-yard box. The Boro forward had to score, but somehow directed a free header against the crossbar.

That was the second time the woodwork had been hit as Barkhuizen flashed a 49th-minute drive against the base of the left-hand post with Konstantopoulos beaten. With the chances coming thick and fast at both ends, it was an entertaining affair.

There never looked much prospect of the second half remaining goalless, and sure enough, Preston reclaimed their lead in the 66th minute. Konstantopoulos will not want to see the goal again, as he seemed to dive over the top of the ball as Barkhuizen fizzed a long-range drive towards his near post. As he prepares to turn 40 in November, perhaps time in finally catching up with the Greek goalkeeper.

Behind for a second time, it did not take long for Boro to hit back again. Three minutes after Barkhuizen’s successful effort, Tavernier scored with a long-range strike of his own. This one did not require a goalkeeping error though, with the teenager picking the ball up in space and finding the top right-hand corner from 22 yards.

Both teams pressed for a late winner, but Konstantopoulos ensured there would be penalties as he produced a fine stop to keep out substitute Josh Harrop’s goalbound strike with one minute left.