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[Steve Russell]

Coca-Cola Cup 2nd Round Tie at Blundell Park on 6th October 1992 & QPR go through
after a Penalty Shoot-Out

Team: Stejskal, Bardsley, Wilson, Wilkins, Peacock, McDonald, Impey, Holloway, Bailey,
Penrise (Thompson), Sinton
Sub Not Used: Maddix

Attendance: 8,443

On 23rd September 1992, QPR defeated Grimsby Town 2-1 at Loftus Road in the 2nd round of
the Coca-Cola Cup. Les Ferdinand scored both the Rangers goals.

Two weeks later the R’s travelled to Blundell Park for the 2ndleg. The match kicked-off ten
minutes late and Keith Farnsworth wrote the following match report:

‘Brave Grimsby, struggling at the wrong end of Division One, bowed out of the League Cup at
Blundell Park last night, defeated in a penalty shoot-out after giving Premier League pacemakers #
Queen’s Park Rangers a tremendous fright in a pulsating second-round duel.

Trailing 1-2 from the first leg, Grimsby led through an Andy Sinton own-goal early in the second-half,
were pulled back by Dennis Bailey’s 68th minute equaliser but deservedly took the tie into extra time
when Neil Woods – who gave an outstanding display – headed in after 81 minutes.

Indeed, the game might not have gone into extra time had Woods not had a shot cleared off the line by
Alan McDonald and then been inches wide of the far post, both his efforts coming moments before the
end of the first 90 minutes.

Moreover, the tie would not have gone to a shoot-out had Woods (twice) and Gary Childs not been denied
by fine saves from Jan Stejskal, and Jim Dobbin not narrowly missed.

In the penalty shoot-out, fortunes fluctuated dramatically as Neil Woods missed Grimsby’s second kick,
Clive Wilson failed with QPR’s third; but when it went to sudden death, Jan Stejskal saved from Tony Rees
and Alan McDonald sealed victory for QPR with their seventh spot-kick.

Wilson should have put QPR in front after 55 minutes following Penrice’s ball into the box, but he steered
his shot wide of the far post. That miss had looked costly within a minute when Grimsby went ahead with
Sinton’s own goal.

Sinton, under pressure from Watson, tried to push the ball back to his goalkeeper at the near post, and
turned it past Stejskal.

However, 11 minutes later after Rhys Wilmot had made a terrific save to deny Sinton, the resulting corner
saw Sinton’s ball to the near post flicked on by Penrice and Bailey equalised for Rangers from close range.

Woods regained the lead for Grimsby nine minutes from the end of normal time when he headed in Gilbert’s
chipped cross from the left.’

Gerry Francis said after the game: “Penalty shoot-outs are unfair on the player who misses. Over the two
matches they’ve caused us more problems than any Premier League team so far and I can’t believe that
they’re struggling in the First Division.”

“They made a lot of chances and both keepers had to make fantastic saves. I’m just relieved to get it over with.”

Ray Wilkins, Andy Sinton, Ian Holloway, David Bardsley, Dennis Bailey all scored and after Macca had hit the
winner, Alan Barnes recalls asking someone standing next to him for the time and was told that it was twenty
to eleven!

Rangers were drawn away to Bury in the next round.