QPR 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
While some reports suggest that Rangers should have won this match convincingly, I didn't really see it like that myself. The visitors were battered for 25 minutes but from that point on I thought they were slightly the better side, especially at 1-0 when we really looked lost.
For that first 25 minutes though, Rangers were in total command, first to every ball and looking threatening with every attack. Wednesday keeper Ian Turner saved well from Dexter Blackstock, Lee Cook rattled the bar from fully 35 yards with Turner completely beaten, Paul Furlong shot inches wide and Turner also had to deal with a Blackstock header and two Inigo Idiakez free kicks. The Spaniard started well but faded out of the game later on, all in all he gives us something different for a month which can't be too bad. Wednesday aren't a bad side though and were bound to pull themselves together sooner or later. Unfortunately they managed to do this before Rangers could score and the visitors could even have taken the lead themselves from a free kick right on the edge of the area which either hit the post or was headed away, I wasn't really sure.
Ten minutes into the second half and Wednesday did indeed score, another soft set-piece goal as Michael Mancienne allowed Chris Brunt to get goal side and latch on to a flick on, from where he could hardly miss. After this body blow, Rangers seemed to lose all confidence and there was a horrible sort of resigned "we're fucked" feeling all around the ground. Brunt missed another good chance and the mood didn't improve when Blackstock limped off to be replaced by the clumsy Marc Nygaard. However, the rangy Dane managed to disconcert the visiting centre halves to the point where they bundled him over in the area. You wonder what defenders are thinking sometimes, were they expecting Nygaard to turn on a sixpence and clip it into the top corner if they didn't foul him ? Because he wasn't going to.
Martin Rowlands has become Rangers' most reliable penalty taker since Clive Wilson (bok) and he converted from the spot. Either side could have won it from there, Lee Camp saved brilliantly from Brunt again and Cook's low cross somehow evaded everyone with the goal gaping. Furlong was unable to latch on to a loose ball in injury time and, just like Plymouth, that was that.
Our luck with other results ran out today, as it was bound to sooner or later, with Leeds, Southend and Hull all collecting 3 points. Somehow we're still out of the relegation zone with a game in hand but time is running out and we really need to win a game or two very soon. Cook was our best player again, by so far that the PA announcer sounded rightly embarrassed when obliged to give the man of the match award to Adam Bolder for some reason. Comedy job swapping Alans Pardew and Curbishley were both in attendance and I can't imagine that they were looking at anyone else but the Rangers left-winger. Wednesday were a fairly solid mid-table outfit but at this point I don't think we really care about the opposition or the performance - we need the points and we need them quickly.
For that first 25 minutes though, Rangers were in total command, first to every ball and looking threatening with every attack. Wednesday keeper Ian Turner saved well from Dexter Blackstock, Lee Cook rattled the bar from fully 35 yards with Turner completely beaten, Paul Furlong shot inches wide and Turner also had to deal with a Blackstock header and two Inigo Idiakez free kicks. The Spaniard started well but faded out of the game later on, all in all he gives us something different for a month which can't be too bad. Wednesday aren't a bad side though and were bound to pull themselves together sooner or later. Unfortunately they managed to do this before Rangers could score and the visitors could even have taken the lead themselves from a free kick right on the edge of the area which either hit the post or was headed away, I wasn't really sure.
Ten minutes into the second half and Wednesday did indeed score, another soft set-piece goal as Michael Mancienne allowed Chris Brunt to get goal side and latch on to a flick on, from where he could hardly miss. After this body blow, Rangers seemed to lose all confidence and there was a horrible sort of resigned "we're fucked" feeling all around the ground. Brunt missed another good chance and the mood didn't improve when Blackstock limped off to be replaced by the clumsy Marc Nygaard. However, the rangy Dane managed to disconcert the visiting centre halves to the point where they bundled him over in the area. You wonder what defenders are thinking sometimes, were they expecting Nygaard to turn on a sixpence and clip it into the top corner if they didn't foul him ? Because he wasn't going to.
Martin Rowlands has become Rangers' most reliable penalty taker since Clive Wilson (bok) and he converted from the spot. Either side could have won it from there, Lee Camp saved brilliantly from Brunt again and Cook's low cross somehow evaded everyone with the goal gaping. Furlong was unable to latch on to a loose ball in injury time and, just like Plymouth, that was that.
Our luck with other results ran out today, as it was bound to sooner or later, with Leeds, Southend and Hull all collecting 3 points. Somehow we're still out of the relegation zone with a game in hand but time is running out and we really need to win a game or two very soon. Cook was our best player again, by so far that the PA announcer sounded rightly embarrassed when obliged to give the man of the match award to Adam Bolder for some reason. Comedy job swapping Alans Pardew and Curbishley were both in attendance and I can't imagine that they were looking at anyone else but the Rangers left-winger. Wednesday were a fairly solid mid-table outfit but at this point I don't think we really care about the opposition or the performance - we need the points and we need them quickly.
posted by Andy_Ward @ 7:53 PM
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