Town's late triumph

Ipswich Town, FA Youth Cup winners in 2005, came very close to an early exit from this season's competition at Loftus Road last night.

They were 3-1 down with just eight minutes left on the clock, but then burst Queens Park Rangers' balloon by notching a sensational four goals to win the tie in normal time.

Rangers' first team had gone to the foot of the Championship after losing at home to Crystal Palace on the previous evening and their youngsters looked determined to give more than 500 fans in the South Africa Road stand a lift by putting on a winning show.

But they could actually have gone behind in the first minute. Jordan Rhodes, who has been with Ipswich's first-team squad this season, expertly nodded the ball down between two Rangers defenders to put Jack Ainsley in the clear. As 'keeper Chris Goodchild advanced, he hit a wayward shot well wide of the target.

Play was even for 20 minutes or so, with Rhodes and Ainsley continuing to link well together for the visitors and Josh Parker and Romone Rose performing a similar role for the hosts. The first goal of the evening arrived on 26 minutes, Chris Arthur curling a perfect free-kick over the wall and beating Andrew Plummer at his left-hand post.

Seven minutes later it was 2-0, Rose scoring with a snap shot from the right. Then Rhodes quickly kept Ipswich in contention on 36 minutes with a firm header that bounced down over the line after striking the underside of the bar.

There were chances at both ends after half-time, with Rangers' Angelo Balanta - a playing substitute for the first team on Tuesday - particularly unlucky with a brave effort that dribbled a few inches wide of the far post. When Rose made it 3-1 with 15 minutes to go, the visitors were clearly up against it. But they fought back in the most unlikely fashion to grab victory.

Edward Upson, the classiest player on the field, had just missed one good chance when he raced goalwards from near the halfway line but slightly overran the ball at the end to allow Goodchild to block his effort.

Then, on 82 minutes, he suddenly put a lot of pressure on the home side with Ipswich's second goal. Jai Reason, later booked for timewasting, gleefully headed in a leveller on 87 minutes and Upson pulled the ball back for Rhodes to sidefoot home for 4-3.

There was still time for Rhodes to burst clear down the middle and shoot past Goodchild to complete a hat-trick and leave Rangers players and fans shell-shocked for the second evening running.