Post by londonranger on Jan 8, 2022 18:12:48 GMT
Published 9 mins ago on 8 January 2022, 17:58 By Ned Holmes
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QPR won a marathon penalty shoot-out in west London to beat Rotherham United and progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
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Michael Ihiekwe put the visitors ahead in the first half of extra time and the R’s left it late to deliver their response, with Lyndon Dykes’ 115th-minute header ensuring that the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium played host to a third penalty shoot-out of the season.
Jordan Archer, who looks set for a key role with Seny Dieng at the Africa Cup of Nations, proved the hero as he saved two Rotherham penalties to ensure the Mark Warburton’s side reached the next round of the competition.
Nine goals were scored in the two Championship games between the pair last season but despite both managers naming fairly strong sides, supporters were forced to wait 98 minutes for the deadlock to be broken.
With rumours swirling about a January exit and Ilias Chair at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco, George Thomas will have been keen to make the most of his chance to impress and was very nearly on the scoresheet in the 21st minute.
Lee Wallace burst down the left and drilled a ball across the six-yard box but Rotherham keeper Josh Vickers got enough on it to divert the ball between the arriving Thomas’ legs.
As we moved past the half-hour mark, Thomas began to exert more influence on the game. With Chair absent and Chris Willock rested, Warburton will have wanted the 24-year-old to show he can shoulder much of the creative responsibility and he was doing just that as the half wore on.
The attacking midfielder was the source of a string of half-chances that helped the R’s crank up the pressure, though both keepers were called into action to ensure scores were level at the break.