QPR 1 Charlton 0

Rangers won comfortably today against a sluggish Charlton. Lee Cook started for the visitors, to great applause, and Rangers played 16 year old Angelo Balanta up front in the absence of Vine and Agyemang. I'm sure a striker is going to be top of the summer shopping list, if not two, but fortunately Dexter Blackstock is back in the goals and he put the Rs in front on 15 minutes, outmuscling Patrick McCarthy and slotting home from 10 yards.

The hapless McCarthy almost made it two, shinning one just over from the edge of his own box, as Rangers controlled the game without threatening all that much. Cook limped off, to general relief, and Charlton only rallied for a short spell when Iwelumo came on to add some muscle up front. Martin Rowlands and Balanta clipped the Charlton bar and the game should have been over five minutes from time when substitute Akos Buzsaky overhit his cross to Rowlands with the goal gaping as they say. Charlton woke up a bit and punted a few into the mixer but the excellent Damion Stewart and Matthew Connolly soaked it up and held on for the win.

I was surprised how little urgency the visitors seemed to show in a game that meant much more for them than for us, but so it goes. Rangers are showing admirable professionalism as they play the season out, although as Fitz Hall said on the club site on Friday, this is as much because players know that plans are being drawn for next season and replacements can be shipped in double quick if required.

While I'm here a quick hats off to Aldershot and Gary Waddock, Aldershot because they started all the way from the bottom again like you're supposed to, and Waddock because he's a top man who was let down by certain players at Rangers IMO and I'm very pleased that he has done so well there. What odds a League Cup clash next season ? These things do happen :-)