SATURDAY’S Championship clash between QPR and Sheffield Wednesday produced a goalmouth scramble for the ages.
The incredible drama wasn’t just entertaining, but also had a huge bearing on the result.
The match, being played at Hillsborough, had been goalless throughout until Sheffield Wednesday grabbed what they thought was a late winner through Barry Bannan in the 93rd minute.
That should have been it but visiting side QPR had other ideas, sending up every single player into the Wednesday box for a 96th minute corner.
The last roll of the dice included QPR keeper Paul Nardi who had made the decision to ditch his own box and head into the opposition’s.
The in-swinging corner produced utter chaos with 21 players scrambling to get on the end of the ball.
An initial header was cleared off the line by Wednesday defender Di’Shon Bernard before the ball returned into the heart of the box where bodies were diving in front of it to prevent a late equaliser.
QPR captain Steve Cook had a couple bites at the cherry to try and poke home a goal for his side but saw a sea of limbs block each effort.
Gloveman Nardi even tried to help by closing down a loose ball and trying to take a swing goalwards.
After a few more seconds of pinball inside the box, the ball finally dropped into the path of QPR substitute Alfie Lloyd who poked home to grab his side a point at the death.
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Pure elation followed as all 11 QPR players ran off to celebrate their dramatic ending.
Fans at home were absolutely loving the goalmouth scramble, chuffed that the Championship was offering up some vintage football.
On social media, one fan wrote: “This 96th minute equaliser from QPR might be the greatest goalmouth scramble I’ve ever seen. Magnificent.”
While another added: “Looks like something that would happen in the playground at break”.
A third joked: “That’s the Puskas Award sorted then”.
A fourth posted: “That is a thing of beauty”.
And a fifth teased: “It’s like when someone shouts ‘next goal wins’ in a game of Knock Out Wembley.”
Alfie Lloyd may have been the happiest person out of them all though as the forward described his last gasp goal as the “best moment of my life”.
Speaking to QPR‘s official outlets after the game, he said: “That is the best moment of my life. That is the best moment of my life, factually.
“When I came on I just thought ‘do what you can do and show what you can do’.
“Then when the ball was scrambling I thought ‘maybe I can get something’.
“It just came to me and I’ve quickly poked it and I was like ‘no way have I just scored!’
“The celebration was crazy, there’s no better feeling than that. I’m just on top of the world right now.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t get the win. If it was the winner it would have been even more perfect but a point away from home in a big stadium is a good feeling.”
