| FURLONG POUNCES TO PIP CHERRIES
Rangers ground out
a hard fought victory over a strong aggressive Bournemouth team at
Loftus Road. This was never a game for the purists and I don't think
it will rate too highly in the end of month voting but it was
important to show that we can battle for a result when things aren't
going our way.
Holloway made more changes to the team
that had surrendered so meekly against Brighton on Monday night. Day
was still in goal but Martin Rowlands was pressed into service at
right back due to Forbes' injury. The usual trio of Carlisle, Shittu
and Padula joined him. Gareth Ainsworth returned on the right wing
with Palmer and Bircham inside. Kevin McLeod was handed his first
start since signing permanently from Everton. Paul Furlong had his
third strike partner of the season as another new boy Tony Thorpe
got the nod.
To say the start Rangers made was
sluggish would be understating matters somewhat. As early as the
fifth minute James Hayter sent a volley over Day's bar following a
mistake from Padula. Gino was not his usual self this afternoon and
got caught out more than once.
Paul Furlong soon picked up his
obligatory caution for a needless, stupid late challenge. As Tindall
fired the ball long Furlong hit him like a train and Danson had
little choice but to book him. This was one of the only things
referee Danson got right all afternoon as he showed all the form
that got him booted off of the elite list.
The Cherries rattled the Rangers bar
midway through the half courtesy of Derek Holmes. Sloppy defending
allowed Bournemouth to steal a march on the R's back four. Once
again it was Padula that was found wanting. The ball was pulled back
and Holmes cracked a shot that caught the top of the bar. Day was
stranded and gave the offending defenders a real ear full to let
them know that things had to change.
Rangers struggled to get to grips with
Bournemouth's long ball tactics and even though the crowd could see
what was happening the players and staff couldn't. Whenever the
keeper or one of the defenders got the ball Steve Fletcher and
Holmes would take a full back each. For those that haven't seen
Fletcher he is about 6' 3" and built like a brick shithouse, not
really the kind of player Martin Rowlands would enjoy coming up
against. He and Gino struggled with the high ball for long periods
and it was only after the break that Carlisle and Shittu started
taking more responsibility for dealing with them.
Both Holmes and Fletcher, twice, went
close to scoring the opener whilst the R's attack seemed a little
lost. Thorpe was having trouble linking with Furlong, unsurprising,
as he probably hadn't trained with his new teammates before the
game. Precious little help was coming from the midfield as palmer
and Bircham saw a lot of the play pass them by. Even Ainsworth
seemed out of sorts as he failed to make an impact. The only bright
point of the half from an attacking point of view was McLeod. He was
giving the Bournemouth full back a torrid time and he seemed to have
supplied the cross to give Rangers the lead only to see a bizarre
decision unfold.
After yet another lung busting burst
he found his way to the by-line and cut the ball back across goal.
Karl Broadhurst showed that the bookies odds of 80/1 for the first
goal were unfounded as he dove to plant a header past Moss. McLeod
wheeled away to hail his cross only to see the linesman rule the
goal out for offside. Seemingly Thorpe at the far post had
interfered in some way despite the cross going backwards and
Broadhurst's untimely intervention. Soon after the half time whistle
went and Danson and his cronies left the field to the sound they
love best, the boos and catcalls of thousands of pissed off punters.
The second half started in much better
fashion as Rangers found another gear and started to play their way
through Bournemouth's rearguard. Martin Rowlands tested Moss with a
freekick after Thorpe had won a freekick twenty yards from goal. The
effort wasn't great but it just seemed to lift the other players.
Rowlands was shooting again minutes
later as he burst forward from right back. As the route to goal
opened up he shot from thirty yards to have Moss scrambling across
goal. It was a good job the keeper held on as Thorpe had followed
the shot all the way and was ready to pounce on any error.
Rangers finally broke the deadlock
after 63 minutes thanks to a picture book goal from Paul Furlong.
Having been a bit off the pace for much of the half the crowd was
starting to get a bit tired of him when the magic started. Kevin
McLeod was sent away on the left and played a clever one two with
Padula before skipping past the hapless Broadhurst. He carried the
ball on before delivering the perfect cross for Furlong to nod home
from eight yards. This really was one from the training ground and
it must make the manager so proud to see the classic cross and
header played out to perfection.
Kevin Gallen made his return from
injury with 25 minutes left as he replaced Thorpe. The former Luton
man was given a great ovation from the crowd and I think he showed
enough to suggest that once he becomes more familiar with his
colleagues that he will be a valuable commodity for us. Gallen
looked hungry and hit the target twice from long range within
minutes of his introduction.
As the game wore on The Cherries
became more desperate and went to four up front as they tried to
find the equaliser. It so nearly came as the minutes ebbed away and
Rangers have a combination of Chris Day and his cross bar to thank.
The balled was rolled into the path of Marcus Browning thirty yards
from goal and he unleashed an absolute howitzer of a shot. The ball
looked to be flying in until Day managed to fling up a hand to
deflect the ball onto the bar and out for a corner. A close escape
and maybe a bit harsh on Bournemouth who would feel they had done
enough to get a point from the game.
Rangers were grateful to hear the
whistle in the end and will be delighted with battling so hard for
all three points. This is a game that Rangers teams of old simply
would not have won, they would have been lucky to grab a draw such
was the pressure that Bournemouth brought to bear at times. Their
style may not be the prettiest but it is certainly effective and
with some calmer heads in front of goal they could have been out of
sight by the break.
Holloway will be looking for a big
improvement against Rushden & Diamonds on Monday and it will be
needed if we want another win. The fact that they are more of a
footballing side may help us, as it is certainly easier to play
yourself when a team wants to keep it on the deck against you.
Rangers looked at their best when they used their wide men rather
than launching it at Furlong from seventy yards away. Perhaps this
will be highlighted before the game rather than half way through it
like today.
Man of the match for me was Kevin
McLeod as his performance caused Bournemouth problems even when the
rest of the team wasn't at its best. He just shaded it over Martin
Rowlands who was also excellent in his slightly unfamiliar right
back role. Thorpe looked to have something about him and following
his goal Furlong came to life. The real disappointing part of the
day was how poor both Palmer and Bircham were. Birch in particular
never got involved and the only surprise was that Marcus Bean
replaced him as late as he did.
simon@qprnet.com |
