Carling Cup Round Up

There were shocks and goals galore in the Carling Cup first round as Championship sides QPR, Derby, Coventry, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City were all defeated by lower league clubs.

Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock will be disappointed as his side, fresh from the 4-0 thrashing of Barnsley on the opening day of the season, were beaten 3-1 at Loftus Road as he rested several players against Port Vale.

Derby were beaten by Crewe thanks to Shaun Barker’s own goal, while minnows Morecombe beat Coventry 2-0 as Andrew Fleming hit a brace for the Shrimps.

On a night of upsets, three other League Two teams, Bradford, Southend and Accrington Stanley, all shocked Championship sides, beating Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Doncaster respectively in an amazing night for the lower leagues.

Elsewhere, Shrewsbury staged an incredible comeback as they came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against former Premier League side Charlton. The vistors were 3-0 up after 32 minutes, but the Shrews stunned them by recovering to win 4-3.

Leicester beat Macclesfield by the same scorleine at the Walkers Stadium, while Southampton took the south-coast bragging rights with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth thanks to goals from Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Elsewhere, Norwich came from behind to beat Gillingham 4-1 thanks to doubles from Chris Martin and Grant Holt, while a late goal from Alan Lee gave Crystal Palace a last gasp win against Yeovil.

 There was also a superb 6-1 victory for League Two new boys Oxford at home to Bristol Rovers, Preston thrashed Stockport 5-0 and Leeds beat Lincoln 4-0.