League Cup wrap: Fulham, Stoke stunned

Sheffield Wednesday have dumped Fulham from the League Cup with a 1-0 victory, while Aston Villa picked up their first win of the season.

All English Premier League clubs, except those involved in the Champions League, had their first involvement in the League Cup in the second round on Tuesday and Fulham were eliminated immediately by the Championship’s Sheffield Wednesday.

Wednesday, who played in League One last season before gaining promotion to the Championship, had the better chances against Fulham, taking eight shots with five of them on target.

By contrast, Fulham only hit the target once from four attempts on goal and went down thanks to Gary Madine’s penalty in the 50th minute after Stephen Kelly brought down Wednesday’s Chris Maguire.

Stoke were the other Premier League club to be eliminated after going down 4-3 to Swindon in extra-time, with James Collins scoring the decisive goal to complete his hat-trick.

Collins scored twice in the first half to put Swindon 2-0 ahead at half-time but goals to Kenwyne Jones and Jonathan Walters, who hit the back of the net in the 86th minute, ensured extra-time was needed in Stoke.

Aden Flint gave Swindon the lead again in the first extra period’s fourth-minute of stoppage time before Peter Crouch brought Stoke level at 3-3 with a goal in the 111th minute.

But with a penalty shootout looming, Collins got on the end of a goalmouth scramble to score in the 119th minute and send Swindon to the third round of the League Cup.

Aston Villa, who have lost their opening two games of the Premier League season, gained some much-needed confidence with a 3-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers.

Fabian Delph put Villa in front with seven minutes to go in the first half before Chris Herd doubled their lead in the 66th minute.

English striker Darren Bent, who missed out on the majority of the second half of last season with an ankle injury, struck Aston Villa’s third goal in the 81st minute to complete a comfortable win.

Swansea defeated Barnsley 3-1, Wigan Athletic smashed Nottingham Forest 4-1, West Bromwich Albion won 4-2 over Yeovil Town and Reading came from behind twice to knock off Peterborough 3-2.

Other Premier League clubs in second-round League Cup action were Sunderland, who defeated Morecambe 2-0, while Norwich City triumphed 2-1 over Scunthorpe, Queens Park Rangers overcame Walsall 3-0, Southampton cruised to a 4-1 victory over Stevenage and West Ham won 2-0 against Crewe.

Milton Keynes Dons knocked out Blackburn 2-1, Leeds United defeated Oxford 3-0, while Crawley eliminated Bolton 2-1 and Bradford won 2-1 away to Watford.

Middlesbrough won 2-0 over Gillingham, Burton Albion shocked Leicester City 4-2 and Preston North End smashed Crystal Palace 4-1.

Other second-round winners were Burnley, Carlisle, Doncaster and Coventry.