Northampton emerged victorious after an epic Carling Cup second round contest against Reading.
League Two side march on after thriller at the Madejski
Northampton emerged victorious after an epic Carling Cup second round contest against Reading.
A topsy-turvy encounter at the Madejski Stadium went all the way to penalties after 120 minutes of action failed to produce a winner.
In the end it was the fourth tier Cobblers who held their nerve, with a 4-2 shootout success handing them a memorable Championship scalp.
Royals skipper Matt Mills bagged a brace either side of a Hal Robson-Kanu strike, but his own goal in extra-time stoppage-time became Northampton's third equaliser after goals from Andy Holt and Kevin Thornton in the original 90 minutes.
Cobblers keeper Oscar Jansson saved the opening spot-kick from Simon Church and Jake Taylor blazed wide for the Royals, meaning successful efforts from Steve Guinan, Kevin Thornton, Michael Jacobs and Abdul Osman sent the Cobblers into round three.
Reading took the lead in the 17th minute when Brian Howard drilled a low free-kick into the Northampton box and Mills produced an exquisite backheel to leave goalkeeper Jansson with no chance.
But Northampton were gifted an equaliser three minutes later when Royals goalkeeper Ben Hamer fumbled Nathaniel Wedderburn's corner to leave Holt with a tap-in.
The visitors were almost in front shortly after when a deft flick from Tadhg Purcell fell narrowly wide.
Rasping
Purcell went close again in the 52nd minute, sending a rasping effort past the post with Hamer stranded.
Reading made it 2-1 in the 62nd when Robson-Kanu scrambled home following a trio of Jansson saves from Karacan, Hunt and the goalscorer.
Northampton hit back immediately when Hamer parried Osman's shot as far as Thornton who finished from six yards.
Thornton slalomed through the Reading defence with five minutes remaining to draw a save from Hamer, and Northampton thought they had victory in second half stoppage time, but Guinan's close-range effort was flagged offside.
The visitors enjoyed the best opening in the first half of extra-time as Guinan's fellow substitute Jacobs raced clear of the Royals backline, but Hamer was equal to the task and Mills hacked clear.
Moments into the second period Reading sprung into life and Jansson was at full stretch to save a piledriver from Shane Long.
Mills and Howard combined again as the centre-back thumped a header home from the midfield's corner, before the latter player rattled the post and Long had penalty claims waved away.
But Northampton forced extra time and Mills completed his hat-trick in the worst possible fashion, diverting Jacob's injury-time free kick into his own net.
