QPR squeak past Swindon after shoot-out
Matt Ingram was the hero as QPR needed penalties to see off League One side Swindon to reach the second round of the EFL Cup.
The goalkeeper saved two spot-kicks before Nasser El Khayati converted to take the Championship team through following a 2-2 draw after extra-time.
Ingram pushed Anton Rodgers' penalty on to the bar and saved from Bradley Barry to seal a 4-2 success.
QPR full-back Darnell Furlong came close to scoring his first senior goal when he headed Yeni Ngbakoto's corner against the bar and soon afterwards saw a header saved - again from a right-wing corner by Rangers' recent signing.
Swindon also created openings in the first half, with Ingram denying Luke Norris on three separate occasions
The goalkeeper saved from Norris at point-blank range after Jordan Cousins had given the ball away
He then kept out another effort from Norris and then a long-range shot from the busy Swindon midfielder.
Rangers opened the scoring early in the 58th minute when debutant Ngbakoto, signed from Metz last week, turned in El Khayati's low cross.
Swindon's first equaliser came after a ball over the top ricocheted into Jordan Stewart's path, although there was nothing fortuitous about the youngster's emphatic finish as the substitute, on only his second first-team appearance for the Robins, steadied himself and directed a glorious volley beyond Ingram and into the corner of the net.
Lloyd Jones' injury after his team had used all three substitutes meant Swindon were forced to play extra-time with only 10 men, and QPR appeared to take control when Connor Washington scored his first competitive goal for the club three minutes after the restart.
Tjaronn Chery played a key part, skilfully gathering a right-wing cross from fellow substitute Sebastian Polter and presenting Washington with a simple finish.
Swindon threatened in the final minutes of normal time, Ingram denied Norris yet again, this time by pushing away his firmly-struck free-kick.
That looked like taking Rangers through, but once again they were unable to hold on.
But Swindon levelled again, this time with a 107th-minute strike from James Brophy, who belted home the loose ball after Bradley Barry's shot had been parried by Ingram.
Conor Thomas and Stewart scored in the shoot-out for the visitors but Rangers netted all their penalties, with Chery, Polter and Washington scoring before El Khayati clinched victory.
Source : PA
Source: PA