The Carling League Cup 2005/2006 Round Two got off to a blockbuster start with Football League teams putting out Premiership opposition. Both Tottenham and Portsmouth were dumped out without any excuses.
Other Premiership clubs were made to work for their place in the next round with Sunderland and Wigan winning a home by one goal. Aston Villa were down 3-1 against Wycombe before managing the comeback of the competition with an 8-3 victory. Match by match reviews from the Sporting Life.
Of course tonight Fulham's youngsters and reserves will be planning to avoid embarrassment against Lincoln City down at The Cottage.
| League Two leaders Grimsby created the shock of the round by dumping out Tottenham 1-0 in the Carling Cup second-round tie at Blundell Park.
Martin Jol fielded a strong side but the Premiership team were undone by Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala strike a minute from full-time.
The Spurs boss named a strong line-up containing five England players and 10 internationals in total. Ex-Fulham midfielder Sean Davis came on in the 67th minute but could not save Spurs. |
| Gillingham also removed Premiership opposition as Portsmouth keeper Jamie Ashdown gifted the League One side two comical goals in a 3-2 extra-time victory. Pompey were cruising in this second-round tie. When Gills substitute Danny Jackman sent in a low right-wing cross four minutes into extra-time, Pompey's stumbling defence gave Andrew Crofts all the time he needed to control and stab home. |
| Managerless Mansfield were handed a wonderful tonic as a second-half strike from Giles Coke secured a memorable 1-0 win over Southampton. Carlton Palmer had resigned as Stags boss after the weekend's League Two defeat to Rochdale, leaving Peter Shirtliff in temporary charge for the second-round clash, but the home side shook off their league worries by recording their first win against the Saints since February 1960. |
| Wycombe squandered a 3-1 lead as Aston Villa posted a contender for the comeback of the season to win 8-3 and avoid an embarrassing exit. The Chairboys had led 3-1 at the break however Villa were irresistible in the second period. |
| Frenchman Anthony Le Tallec struck in extra-time to spare 10-man Sunderland's blushes and clinch his side's first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Cheltenham. |
| Two-goal Bobby Zamora, captain for the-night Christian Dailly and David Bellion fired West Ham into the third round with a 4-2 win but only after a late scare against Championship's rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday. |
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Darren Bent came off the bench to help fire much-changed Charlton into the third round after a 3-1 win against League One battlers Hartlepool at The Valley. Although, after weathering the early storm, it was the visitors - beaten in last season's League One play-off final - who took a shock lead five minutes before half-time.
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Birmingham were forced to weather a second-half storm as Mikael Forssell's brace earned them a less-than-comfortable 2-0 win against League One outfit Scunthorpe. The Blues striker made the breakthrough in the first half having already seen a good effort pushed onto the post - but left nothing to chance by stabbing home.
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Bradford crashed out as Nathan Ellington fired a brace to help West Brom to a 4-1 win at The Hawthorns. Ellington, signed from newly promoted Wigan last month, opened the scoring and then scored the decisive third after Bradford had briefly threatened a revival. The only disappointment for Bryan Robson's side was the late red card handed out to defender Martin Albrechtsen but by then Albion had clinched their spot in the next round.
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Premiership new boys Wigan limped into the third round with a distinctly unimpressive 1-0 win over League One side Bournemouth thanks to a late Jason Roberts goal. The Cherries were without 11 players through injury and Josh Gowling through suspension, leaving manager Sean O'Driscoll with just four substitutes but held out until Roberts raced onto a flick-on from fellow substitute David Connolly and tucked the ball past keeper Gareth Stewart.
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Giuliano Grazioli struck early in the second half as Barnet reached the third round with a 2-1 win against managerless Plymouth. The League Two side got off to a dream start as a weak 12th-minute corner from Dean Sinclair was cleared by Mathias Doumbe to defender Simon King, who unleashed a fierce left-foot volley into the top left corner from just outside the area.
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England Under-19 keeper Joe Hart was the hero and villain for Shrewsbury as the League Two outfit crashed out of the Carling Cup 4-3 on spot-kicks after a goalless draw in normal time with Championship high-fliers Sheffield United.
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Richard Cresswell scored his first goals for Leeds with both strikes in a 2-0 win which dumped Rotherham out. Cresswell took advantage of some hapless defending from the Millers to snatch his two goals inside 10 first-half minutes.
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Norwich eased through with an uninspiring 2-0 victory over League Two side Northampton. Norwich opened the scoring in the 34th minute when Darren Huckerby made no mistake from the penalty spot and Dean Ashton settled the tie 12 minutes from time with his fifth goal of the season.
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Jason Koumas capped a marvellous couple of days by scoring the winner as Cardiff came from behind to beat Macclesfield 2-1.
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| Clarke Carlisle dumped Wolves out with a pair of headers for Watford in a 2-1 extra-time win. |
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John Oster scored the only goal of the game as Reading advanced at the expense of Championship rivals Luton. The 26-year-old midfielder fired home a free-kick from the edge of the box 10 minutes from time to snatch the victory for Steve Coppell's side.
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