Tranmere and Wycombe enjoy dramatic FA Cup victories

Tranmere Rovers have set up a dream FA Cup quarter-final tie against Liverpool tonight while Wycombe Wanderers' Cup dream is also still alive after a dramatic win over Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. Tranmere will take on Liverpool in a Merseyside derby in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after an amazing comeback against Southampton at Prenton Park. John Aldridge's First Division side were trailing their Premiership opponents 3-0 at half-time in their fifth round replay but it proved to be a different story in the second half as Paul Rideout scored a hat-trick and substitute Stuart Barlow scored a late winner to send Southampton crashing out and Rovers into the next round.

Southampton opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a 25-yard wonder strike from Moroccan Hassan Kachloul. Both Kachloul and fellow striker James Beattie were terrorising the Tranmere defence and Kachloul was involved in the Saints' second goal in the 26th minute. After picking up a loose ball, Kachloul crossed to Jo Tessem and the Norweigan struck home from just six yards out. Southampton's place in the quarter-finals looked assured just before half-time when they extended their lead through Dean Richards but no one expected the amazing turnaround that came in the second half.

It was on the hour mark that Rideout carved out a lifeline for the home side when he found a way past Paul Jones in the Saints' goal. Twenty minutes from time, Southampton's lead was reduced to a single goal when Rideout headed home Koumas' corner. Ten minutes from time Rideout completed his hat-trick and the game was heading for extra-time. But just minutes later Tranmere couldn't believe their luck when Stuart Barlow struck home from close range to complete one of the most memorable Cup comebacks in history.

Meanwhile, in tonight's other Fifth Round replay between Wimbledon and Wycombe Wanderers, Wycombe have progressed after the game went to penalties. At the end of 90 minutes of normal time, the score stood at 1-1 after the Dons opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Gareth Ainsworth after he ran 40 yards with the ball before shooting past Martin Taylor in Wycombe's goal. But in the 32nd minute Wycombe were back in the game when Dave Carroll reacted first after Dons' keeper Kelvin Davis failed to hold on to Andy Rammell's powerful drive. In extra time, Wimbledon looked to have secured the quarter-final spot when just 34 seconds in substitute Wayne Gray fired home. However, with just seconds remaining, Paul McCarthy popped up to score a most unlikely equaliser to send the game to penalties. It proved to be an equally-dramatic penalty shoot-out, with the players forced into sudden death before Mark Williams missed for the Dons with the scoreline at 8-7 in Wycombe's favour.

Filed by Amanda Fennelly