QPR 3 Norwich 3

Well I thought this should be a good game, although it has to be said that there was some very ropey defending on show from both sides. Straight away, Huckerby was given the freedom of Loftus Road to slot past Jones for 1-0. Jones also saved well from Earnshaw's header and Rangers were grateful to keep it to one down before forcing their way back into the game. Cook fired over after a rare excursion down the right wing, and then drew the defence in before releasing Jimmy Smith who finished smartly from 15 yards. A Chelsea midfielder with an eye for goal, there's a thing !

Rangers then had much the best of it and took the lead with a howitzer free kick from Rowlands just before the break. Into the second half and the combination of lively wingers and shambolic defending on both sides promised more goals. Rowlands was denied by Gallagher before Croft skipped around Jones and then inexplicably sliced wide of an open goal. Unfortunately Dion Dublin came on to show him how to do it with a calm finish from 10 yards, 2-2. With 10 minutes left I suggested to The Camel that Norwich looked the more likely. His unusually prescient response was that he wouldn't be surprised if it ended 3-3 the way both teams were defending. And so it came to pass. Earnshaw scored from the spot after a piece of defending from Rehman that was so appalling I don't even want to describe it. Rangers threw men forward more in hope than expectation and Rowlands equalised with a near post shot in injury time. Hooray !

Huckerby was excellent for Norwich throughout, a real threat every time he picked the ball up. For Rangers, Cook was good as ever and Rowlands also top notch. The nippy winger is a breed that seems to be dying out, especially in the Premiership where strength and power are usually preferred, which is a real shame. But if that means we can watch players like Cook, Rowlands and Huckerby in the Championship then so much the better.