February 20, 2001 23:00: Wimbledon V Wycombe Wanderers, FA Cup Fifth Round Replay, Selhurst Park. Wimbledon 2 (Ainsworth 12, Gray 91), Wycombe 2 (Carroll 32, McCarthy 120) - Wycombe win 8-7 on penalties
Report by Dave Peters
Read full analysis and comments on the incredible win in Friday's Bucks Free Press
Goalkeeper Martin Taylor was ten-men Wycombe's hero as they reached the FA Cup quarter finals after a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
Taylor, who saved Neal Ardley's spotkick in the final minute of normal time to take the match into 30 minutes overtime, scored Wycombe's eighth penalty. Then he watched in delight as Mark Williams blazed the ball over his crossbar to give Wanderers a dramatic 8-7 shoot-out victory and send Wycombe into a quarter final tie at Premiership Leicester City.
Earlier, Taylor had performed heroics to take the match into extra time, diving to his right to foil Ardley - but Wycombe hearts were broken just 34 seconds into extra time as Dons substitute Wayne Gray gave the First Division team a dream start.
Wanderers, roared on by 4,500 travelling fans, looked to be heading out until on-loan Sam Parkin went on a mazy run down the left. His cross was sliced by Dannie Bulman and Paul McCarthy was on hand to jab in a 120th minute equaliser.
The game went into a shoot-out and the drama unfolded like this: Brown scored first for Wycombe, Wimbledon's Cunningham hit the post, Cousins scored, Euell scored, Ryan put it over the bar, Gayle scored, Bulman scored, Hunt scored, Parkin scored, Ardley scored, Vinnicombe scored, Holloway scored, Townsend scored, Gray scored, Bates was saved, Taylor saved from Hawkins, McCarthy scored, Davis scored, Taylor scored and Williams missed.
The victory was made all the more remarkable because Wycombe were down to ten men from 69 minutes when Michael Simpson was sent off for his second bookable challenge on Gareth Ainsworth.
The Blues were up against it almost from the start of the match. Wanderers who fought back from 2-0 in the first game found themselves behind again after just 12 minutes.
It came after Steve Brown was just a whisker away from giving Wycombe the lead with a speculative lob which keeper Kelvin Davis tipped over the bar. From the resulting corner, Wimbledon cleared and Gareth Ainsworth streaked away to finish low beyond Wycombe keeper Martin Taylor.
But, just like on Saturday, Wycombe came roaring back and levelled on 32 minutes.
Danny Bulman's shot was blocked and then Andy Rammell's follow up was parried into the path of Dave Carroll who tucked the ball home from close range.
Manager Lawrie Sanchez, who used three subs in one go on Saturday, had to use two in six first half minutes.
Injured striker Andy Rammell was replaced by Andy Baird on 39 minutes, and then Baird himself was stretchered off and replaced by Sam Parkin after a clattering challenge in the 43rd minute from Mark Williams.
Hundreds of Wycombe fans missed the start of the match after a crash on the M25 caused traffic chaos.
Wimbledon: Davis, Cunningham, Holloway, Ardley, Euell, Anderson, Williams, Ainsworth, Agyemang, Hawkins, Karlsson. Subs: Gayle, Feuer, Willmott, Gray, Hunt.
Wycombe:Taylor, Vinnicombe, Cousins, McCarthy, Bates, Carroll, Ryan, Rammell, Bulman, Simpson, Brown. Subs: Baird, Townsend, Parkin, Lee, Westhead.
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