Football / Coca-Cola Cup: Wednesday fizz as Rangers fall flat

Sheffield Wednesday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Queen's Park Rangers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

CALL it after what drink you like, Sheffield Wednesday have developed a taste for this Cup. They won it two years ago, put seven past Leicester in the previous round, and might have done the same against a Rangers side which created one good chance in the opening minute and then drifted tamely out of the match, and the competition.

Wednesday are a good side whose modest League position is due to their failure to put away enough chances. There were no such failings last night. Open the Coca-Cola and the Owls begin to fizz. But the bubbles took time to form, and they might have lost an early goal. Andrew Impey beat the off-side trap and Chris Woods had to go down quickly to deny the unmarked Les Ferdinand. Despite the gale blowing through Hillsborough, two sides content to build patiently were becalmed in midfield until Wednesday sailed ahead with two goals on the half hour.

Carlton Palmer created both, pulling the ball back to give Mark Bright a simple tap-in and then crossing for David Hirst to squeeze a shot beneath Jan Stejskal's body. That sank Rangers, but it was another half-hour before Wednesday turned their dominance into further goals.

John Harkes and Chris Waddle each hit the bar, and John Sheridan's free-kick struck a post before Palmer headed a Harkes cross into the air and poked out his foot to score as it fell. Roland Nilsson, Wednesday's Swedish full-back, finished it with a left-foot drive into the corner from Hirst's lay-off.

Trevor Francis, the Wednesday manager, said: 'All good performances start from the front. Any defence would have found difficulty handling Hirst and Bright tonight. Our play has warranted better results and we were due to give someone a hiding.'

Gerry Francis, the QPR manager, said: 'It is the first time we have conceded four since we were last here 15 months ago. I apologise to our fans for that performance because it is not what I expect.'

Sheffield Wednesday: Woods; Nilsson, Worthington, Palmer (Bart-Williams, 80), Anderson, Warhurst, Harkes, Waddle, Hirst, Bright (Watson, 87), Sheridan.

Queen's Park Rangers: Stejskal; Bardsley, Wilson, Wilkins (Allen, 73), Peacock, McDonald, Impey, Holloway, Ferdinand, Penrice, Sinton. Substitute not used: Maddix.

Referee: J Watson (Whitley Bay).