Shoot-out hero Jordan Archer taken to hospital after QPR sneak past Rotherham

Posted Sunday, January 09, 2022 by PA

Goalkeeper Jordan Archer was taken to hospital after suffering a shoulder injury while making the decisive save as QPR beat Rotherham on penalties to secure a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Rangers prevailed 8-7 in the shoot-out after extra time ended with the score at 1-1.

Archer’s save from Chiedozie Ogbene took the Championship promotion contenders through.

But Archer, playing in the absence of Seny Dieng who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, had to be helped off after several minutes of treatment.

League One leaders Rotherham went ahead eight minutes into extra time when Wes Harding’s long diagonal ball from the right dropped to fellow defender Michael Ihiekwe, whose low shot went in off the far post.

But Rangers equalised with five minutes remaining.

Lyndon Dykes’ header from Albert Adomah’s right-wing cross was tipped against the underside of the bar by Josh Vickers but the ball then ricocheted off the keeper’s back and over the line.

QPR failed to take several chances in normal time, with George Thomas and Andre Gray the main culprits – both were guilty of appalling misses.

Lee Wallace collected Stefan Johansen’s pass and sent in a low cross from the left towards Thomas, who had the goal at his mercy but failed to react quickly enough and allowed the ball to squirm away from him.

A similar delivery from Wallace then led to Gray being denied at point-blank range by Vickers, who also saved Jimmy Dunne’s header as well as Charlie Austin’s first-time strike from Johansen’s left-wing corner.

Vickers was called into action again early in the second half, keeping out Gray’s header from Adomah’s cross, while Rotherham threatened at the other end when Michael Smith headed on to the top of the net after being set up by Will Grigg.

Rangers boss Mark Warburton sent Dykes on just before the hour mark in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Gray then missed the second sitter of the match after good work on the left by the Scotland striker.

Dykes’ cross from the left was palmed by Vickers straight to Gray, who side-footed over the bar.

Rangers survived a scare when Archer was beaten in the air by Joshua Kayode, whose header was cleared off the line by Yoann Barbet.

Late in normal time, another QPR chance was squandered when an unmarked Dykes shot straight at Vickers after being found by Adomah’s cross.

But with his team heading out of the competition after Ihiekwe’s goal, Dykes hauled them back into the tie.

Archer saved Harding’s penalty and Vickers denied Andre Dozzell before the shoot-out went to sudden death.

Dykes, Johansen, Gray, Adomah, Barbet, Dunne, Luke Amos and Rob Dickie scored with their penalties as did Rotherham’s Smith, Oliver Rathbone, Kayode, Hakeem Odoffin, Jamie Lindsay and Ihiekwe.