EFL Cup round-up: QPR and Derby win on penalties; Morecambe surprise Blackburn

QPR edge through to round two

With restrictions eased and fans eagerly awaiting, the first round of the EFL Cup brought Championship side Queens Park Rangers to Brisbane Road to face Leyton Orient.

QPR edged through on penalties against Leyton Orient to book their place in the next round of the League Cup, following a 1-1 draw.

Mark Warbuton’s side started the better going ahead after just 16 minutes from a Robert Dickie header.  Orient recovered but at this point the difference in levels was evident as QPR were dominating play.

🚀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆
☄️ 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆

Big @RobDickie96 again 🙌#QPR | #LEYQPR pic.twitter.com/ExEmoKAY7e

— QPR FC (@QPR) August 12, 2021

Leyton Orient had a couple of chances yet just could not quite score and went in 1-0 down at the break.  The second half started, and Orient came out like a completely different side, dominating the game and finally equalising in the 74th minute via an Aaron Drinan goal.

Orient then went on to attack for the next 10 minutes; hitting the bar and forcing some excellent saves from the QPR goalkeeper, yet it wasn’t to be for them.

With neither side scoring, and the game ending in a draw, it went straight to penalties. Both sides scored their first penalty but Orient’s Sotiriu missed with his strike hitting the bar. QPR were precise with their penalties with Albert Adomah scoring the fifth one to send them through.

Oxford Utd win on pens; Blackburn beaten

Elsewhere in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, Burton Albion v Oxford Utd was the other tie requiring penalties to decide it, with Oxford Utd coming out as winners.

Former ground-sharers Coventry City and Northampton Town faced off with League Two outfit Northampton Town causing a mini-surprise, winning 2-0.

A Joao Carvalho brace helped Nottingham Forest seal a home victory against Bradford City which sees them through to the next round of the cup.

Finally, Blackpool gained a comfortable 3-0 home win over Middlesborough, with goals from Callum Connoly, Shane Lavery and Keshi Anderson.

On Tuesday, there were a couple of surprises with Morecambe knocking out Lancashire rivals Blackburn, winning 2-1 at Ewood Park.

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County came from 3-1 down to beat Salford City on penalties after the game finished 3-3 in normal time.

Rhian Brewster finally scored his first Sheffield United goal as the Blades beat Carlisle.

Second-round draw

Your Round Two draw in full!#EFL | #CarabaoCup https://t.co/ypNd1kjYOI

— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 11, 2021

The second-round draw was made with all Premier League sides who are not taking part in Europe featuring.

Arsenal will travel to the Hawthorns to face West Brom, while Aston Villa will face Barrow.