Preston substitute Joe Garner fired a hat-trick to dump out Ipswich and earn the League One promotion chasers a fourth round trip to Nottingham Forest.

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy might believe that the old competition has lost its lustre but try telling that to the players who fought out a dramatic second half at Deepdale.

Preston looked to be going through after two goals in the space of 45 seconds by Garner put them ahead, only for Ipswich sub David McGoldrick to level and set up the prospect of extra-time and penalties.

The two teams made a total of 13 changes between them with McCarthy promoting three teenagers from his academy to the bench.

The Ipswich boss admitted: 'It still has its moments, even if it's not a competition that has the lustre it had,' said McCarthy.

'You get all these self-righteous people saying it should be about winning medals not money, but that's not reality.

'It seems bonkers that you can finish sixth in the league, win the play-offs and that's bigger than the FA Cup final. But it is though.

'It's crazy really, kind of sad, but that's the way it's gone.'

He seemed to have a point after a first half devoid of any real incident or entertainment.

But the tie came to life in the 58th minute when Preston defender Tom Clarke looked to have chested a cross out for a corner and goalkeeper Declan Rudd - on loan from Ipswich's arch rivals Norwich - tried to keep it in play.

Rudd only succeeded in stopping the ball on the line, allowing striker Frank Nouble to take it into the six-yard box and smash the ball into an empty net.

Preston boss Simon Grayson sent on Garner in place of Will Hayhurst and he made an instant impact.

First Garner saw his header from a Paul Gallagher corner creep over the line after 68 minutes and then moments later he drilled home a second to leave a stunned Ipswich trailing.

However McGoldrick - who scored in the first game at Portman Road - had only been on the pitch for two minutes himself when he snatched the equaliser, heading past Rudd to set up a tense finale.

But Garner completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute turning into the box to beat Scott Loach with a clinical finish.

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