LIAM Sercombe admitted he was thinking about which penalty he would take in the shoot-out before heading the latest of EFL Cup winners for Oxford United at Birmingham City last night.

The midfielder profited from a mistake from Blues goalkeeper Adam Legzdins in the final minute of extra time, nodding home from close range.

It sent the U’s into the second round draw, alongside the Premier League teams not in European competition this season, made at 10pm tonight.

Before grabbing the only goal of the game, Sercombe, who also scored in the 4-0 win over Brentford at the same stage last season, was shattered and his mind had turned to the shoot-out at St Andrew’s.

He said: “I felt like I was about 45 in extra time, I wasn’t moving that great.

“I knew how late it was, I was just thinking which number penalty I was going to take.

“But the keeper got a touch on the cross, I thought he was going to palm it away, but it landed on my head.

“I don’t score many headers and I won’t score many more, but it was nice to see it go in.

“It was great to get it in front of the travelling fans, they were fantastic all night.”

United were grateful to goalkeeper Simon Eastwood for a couple of excellent saves in the first half, but this was no smash-and-grab raid.

The Sky Bet League One visitors had their share of the game and after the opening 45 minutes arguably had the clearer chances.

Sercombe, who was denied by Legzdins in the 90th minute, said: “I think we looked the better side.

“That’s great for us to see. We are aiming to be in the Championship and I think we held our own.”

It completed a hat-trick of first-round away wins under head coach Michael Appleton, following successes at Brentford and Bristol City.

He said: “I’m delighted. We’ve got a lot of tired players in the dressing room, but they are happy players.

“We got into some great areas in the first half, but were really wasteful.

“I said to them at half-time ‘there’s a game to be won here, no doubt about it’.

“In the second half and extra-time, I thought we were very good.”

United lost Wes Thomas to a groin injury in the first half.

The striker had some tightness following Saturday’s opening game of the season and was withdrawn as a precaution.