The Rovers forced a corner on the right within a few minutes. The visitors responded with Quincy, on the left, crossing for Lupoli to head into the hands of Budtz. Then, with 3 minutes on the clock, McINDOE won the race for a ball down the left, held off a challenge and slotted past the advancing keeper, Almunia to send the home fans into the realms of delirium. Arsenal, playing cultured football, stormed back into the game. Budtz saved at the feet of Van Persie and Lupoli miscued from 5 yards giving McDaid the chance to clear. The Rovers hit back, with McIndoe, on the left, getting in a good cross that was eventually cleared and Guy getting away on the right but his low cross was easily cut out. As the halfway point of the half came up the game settled down to a midfield battle, with neither keeper unduly troubled. After 32 minutes, the visitors won their first corner but it was cleared. Five minutes later, Lupoli crossed from the left for Bendtner, on as a substitute and getting his first touch, to head wide of Budtz but the keeper flung himself to his left to make the catch. Arsenal were now pushing on and the Rovers defence was under pressure but coped very well. Time ran down to the break with the visitors having a majority of the possession and in added-on time the referee turned down a penalty shout for the Gunners. From the ensuing clearance, Guy was sent down the right, pulled a low cross behind Heffernan but Thornton, coming up, hit a cracker but it was blocked and eventually cleared. The Rovers went in with a one -goal lead.
Arsenal went straight into the attack and winning a corner on their right saw an effort from Lupoli go over the bar. Another corner to the Gunners, on the opposite side, was headed over. The Rovers hit back on 51 minutes when McIndoe passed back to Thornton, who hammered it goalwards from 20 yards. Almunia could only push it it out and his defence helped him out by clearing. Back came the home team as Heffernan was played in . From 20 yards he cracked a shot in that Almunia could only beat out. Guy followed up but Almunia was there again to save, this time with his face. Guy then won a corner on the left following some flowing football involving Thornton and McIndoe. Arsenal won a couple of successive corners, which were cleared but on 63 minutes their pressure paid off when QUINCY, on the left, fired across the keeper into the far corner of the net to level the score. Arsenal continued to have the better of the possession but the Rovers were far from outplayed, attacking on the break through McIndoe and Guy. Budtz had to make a couple of good saves from Bendtner and Lupoli but time ran out with the score still level at a goal apiece.
Extra time started with the Rovers defending the Rossington end and setting play in motion. Four minutes in and Bendtner had two bites at getting a goal. His first shot from 15 yards was blocked and then Budtz fingertipping away his follow up. Even play followed until the 102nd minute when McIndoe crossed low from the left byline. Senderos and the goalkeeper got into a tangle at the near post, with the ball rolling towards the goalline. Senderos tried to clear but GREEN also got there to stab in and put the Rovers in front. Roared on by the fans, Heffernan then unleashed a tremendous drive from the left of goal that had Almunia flying theatrically through the air and pushing away. Half time in extra time came with the Rovers leading 2-1.
The second period of extra time was taken up with dogged defending by the Rovers as the Gunners threw everything at them including the kitchen sink. A minute into added on time Eboue got away down the right, crossed low into the middle where GILBERTO stabbed in to draw level and send the game into penalties.