 Oxford United lifting the cup | |||||||
| Event | 1985–86 Football League Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 20 April 1986 | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Referee | Keith Hackett | ||||||
| Attendance | 90,396 | ||||||
←1985 1987 → | |||||||
The1986 Football League Cup Final (known for sponsorship reasons as theMilk Cup) was afootball match held on 20 April 1986 betweenOxford United andQueens Park Rangers. Oxford won the match 3–0 to capture theLeague Cup – their first and only major honour.Trevor Hebberd opened the scoring in the first half, andRay Houghton added a second.Jeremy Charles scored the third following up whenJohn Aldridge had a shot saved by QPR goalkeeperPaul Barron. The match was played atWembley Stadium in front of 90,396 spectators.
BecauseUEFA voted that the ban on English clubs in European competitions (beginning after theHeysel disaster in May 1985) would continue for a second season, Oxford United were denied a place in the1986–87 UEFA Cup.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd[1] | Northampton Town (h) | 2–0 |
| Northampton Town (a) | 2–1 | |
| Aggregate score 4–1 | ||
| 3rd | Newcastle United (h) | 3–1 |
| 4th | Norwich City (h) | 3–1 |
| 5th | Portsmouth (h) | 3–1 |
| Semi-final[1] | Aston Villa (a) | 2–2 |
| Aston Villa (h) | 2–1 | |
| Aggregate score 4–3 | ||
Oxford United and Queens Park Rangers were both playing in theFirst Division and both entered the competition at the second round stage, under the tournament format in place at the time. Oxford had never previously progressed past the quarter finals, which they reached in the 1969–70 and 1983–84 seasons.[2] Queens Park Rangers, on the other hand, were victorious in the1967 final where they defeatedWest Bromwich Albion.[3] In the second round, Oxford defeatedNorthampton Town of theFourth Division 4–1 on aggregate after two legs.[4] The 2–1 away victory at theCounty Ground was Oxford's only away win at Northampton in cup competitions.[5]: 363
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd[1] | Hull City (h) | 3–0 |
| Hull City (a) | 5–1 | |
| Aggregate score 8–1 | ||
| 3rd | Watford (a) | 1–0 |
| 4th | Nottingham Forest (h) | 3–1 |
| 5th | Chelsea (h) | 1–1 |
| replay | Chelsea (a) | 2–0 |
| Semi-final[1] | Liverpool (h) | 1–0 |
| Liverpool (a) | 2–2 | |
| Aggregate score 3–2 | ||
After a third-round home win againstNewcastle United,[6] Oxford United faced Second Division side and cup holdersNorwich City in the fourth round, winning 3–1.[7] In the fifth round Oxford defeatedPortsmouth 3–1,[8] making it the third consecutive round where a 3–1 home victory was recorded. Despite the fifth-round tie, the attendance for the game was around 400 lower than the league average, after a boycott was organised because of increased ticket prices.[5]: 121
The semi-final against First DivisionAston Villa was contested over two legs. The first atVilla Park finished 2–2,[9] with the return leg ending in a 2–1 victory for Oxford after goals fromJeremy Charles andLes Phillips.[10][5]: 122
QPR began the competition against Second DivisionHull City, winning 8–1 on aggregate, including a 5–1 away victory atBoothferry Park.[11][12] In the third round they beatWatford of the First Division 1–0 atVicarage Road.[13] The "Hoops" defeated another First Division team,Nottingham Forest, in the fourth round,[14] but found the fifth round tougher againstChelsea. After the first match ended in a 1–1 draw atLoftus Road, the reply held atStamford Bridge ended in a 2–0 win with goals fromAlan McDonald andMichael Robinson.[15][16] In the semi-finals, Queens Park Rangers took onLiverpool. QPR went through 3–2 on aggregate after a 1–0 home win was followed by a 2–2 draw atAnfield.[17][18] Apart from the second round tie against Hull City, all the teams that Queens Park Rangers defeated on their way to Wembley played in the First Division, including champions Liverpool. In contrast, Oxford United only faced two, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
| Oxford United | 3–0 | Queens Park Rangers |
|---|---|---|
Hebberd 40'Houghton 52'Charles 86' | Report |
         Oxford |      QPR |
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Match rules
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