QPR boss Harry Redknapp reckoned practising penalties was a waste of time - now he's not so sure.

Only one goal in 270 minutes of football this season has separated Rs and Wigan before tonight's thriller that decides who meets Derby in the Championship play-off final on May 24.

Originally, Harry supposed penalties were in the lap of the gods, although he was edging towards a bit of practice after Friday's stalemate at the DW Stadium, despite his reservations.

He explained: “You can’t replicate training ground penalties to those in a game. If you took all the golfers in the country out on the driving range there would be nothing between them.

“But when you get into tournament under pressure, the top players perform, and it’s on a Saturday or whatever when it really means something and you see who deals with the pressure.

“Michael Ballack, the other day, he reckoned the Germans never practised penalties, and you know how well they used to take them."

Striker Kevin Doyle may yet get a start after coming on as a sub at Wigan and added a further rider to the art of the 12-yarder.

"The Germans never practice with a keeper. I've read they stick a cone in one of the corners and aim for that,” he said.

"The last thing you want is to fire in penalties against your own keeper who saves them and ruins your confidence because he knows where you put them."