The Championship side had twice taken the lead in normal time at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium thanks to a Charlie Austin double, but goals from Lucas Digne and Andros Townsend twice levelled the game.
Eventually, it was Rangers who reached the next stage of the competition, though, as Tom Davies missed the 15th penalty of the shootout – following 14 successful efforts – and Jimmy Dunne stepped up for QPR to settle the tie.
QPR were coming off the back of back-to-back defeats in the Championship, but you wouldn’t have known by the confidence they showed as they buzzed around the pitch in the first half.
Sam McCallum, Ilias Chair and Chris Willock, in particular, were causing problems down the left side, and it was their combination which led to Austin’s opener on 18 minutes, as McCallum’s cross was palmed into the path of the striker by Asmir Begovic, who strained all his neck muscles on the rise to nod the ball back over the line.
That goal seemed to wake Everton up a little, and moments after Alex Iwobi missed a glorious opportunity to put them level after an error from Yoann Barbet, they did find the equaliser on 30 minutes as Townsend’s smart ball over the top found the run of Digne, who slotted coolly inside the near post.
That did not deter QPR, however, and four minutes later Austin restored their lead, glancing a header from Chair’s cross past Begovic and into the bottom corner.
The second half began as breathlessly as the first period ended, and within two minutes of the restart Everton were back level again. QPR failed to deal with a corner properly that was swung into the near post, and Townsend was alert in the box to prod it home after Seny Dieng had parried the ball into his path.
Everton controlled the rest of the proceedings but couldn’t find the necessary breakthrough as the game went to penalties.
After the first 14 attempts were put away it was Davies who saw his effort saved by Dieng, and Jimmy Dunne stepped up to slot home the decisive kick, sealing an 8-7 shootout win and QPR’s passage into the fourth round.
