| MONKEY HUNG, DRAWN AND
QUARTERED
The promotion
charge gathered yet more pace at Loftus Road with a crushing 4-1 win
over one of this seasons surprise packages, Hartlepool United. The
way Rangers disposed of a team that sat sixth in the table at the
start of the day will have had Holloway beaming.
With so many players coming back from
injuries and suspensions and a full squad to pick from Olly sprang a
few surprises. Culkin kept his place in goal, leaving a peeved
looking Chris Day watching from the dugout. Padula returned at left
back alongside Forbes, Shittu and Carlisle. The anticipated returns
of Bircham and McLeod didn't happen either as the quartet of
Ainsworth, Bean, Palmer and Rowlands started again. As expected,
Gallen and Thorpe continued their burgeoning partnership up front.
The strength on the bench was impressive with Day, Rose, Bircham,
McLeod and Furlong to throw on if needed.
Hartlepool came into the game with a
very refreshing attitude, they wanted to play. Manager Neale Cooper
had said in the build up that they would get battered if they came
to defend, as it was they came to attack and got battered anyway!
The Monkey Hangers saw a lot of the ball in the opening ten minutes
but found themselves continually falling foul of the linesman's
flag. Joel Porter in particular did not seem to have the faintest
idea about how to time a run and it would become the comedy theme of
the day.
Ainsworth was the first player to test
the 'Pool keeper when he was played in after a neat interchange
between Gallen and Thorpe. The way these two are now able to find
each other is bordering on the telepathic; they are starting to
remind me of the way Cole and Yorke used to play at Manchester
United. Ainsworth went close again with a header before he created
the chance that should have seen Rangers hit the front.
Sporting his new sleek hair do,
Ainsworth was looking for work and finding plenty of it on the right
flank. He managed to work some space to fire over a tantalising
cross that opposite winger Martin Rowlands attacked in the air. He
made a great connection with the ball and Jim Provett was well
beaten and was grateful for Joey Woodwork's intervention.
The pressure being brought to bear on
the Hartlepool rearguard was growing and you sensed that it would
only be a matter of time before a goal came. Following ten minutes
of almost incessant pressure it did, via the head of Kevin Gallen.
As so often seems to be the case at the moment Thorpe was the
provider with a dinked cross that Gallen met to head past Provett
for a deserved lead.
You knew that this wouldn't be the
last of the scoring and we only had to wait another seven minutes
for the second. Gareth Ainsworth set off on yet another barrelling
run down the right and managed to win a corner following a heavy
challenge. Padula came across to take it and the hapless Provett
palmed his fierce delivery in at the near post. This is the second
corner that Gino has scored direct this season and that was his
fourth goal in all. He celebrated with his trademark jig of delight
in front of his adoring public.
Hartlepool were all but done for now
and when the third goal came seven before the break you could see
any fight they may have had left visibly drain out of them. This was
the goal of the game and once again Gallen was the man on target.
Thorpe picked the ball up deep and fed Ainsworth on the right. He
managed to thread a peach of a ball into Gallen's path and he took
one touch to steady himself before firing in a low shot off of
Provett's left hand post.
Neale Cooper's half time tongue
lashing must still have been ringing in his players' ears when they
shipped the fourth five minutes after the break. Padula was the
architect once more as his superb right wing delivery found
Ainsworth who hurled himself headlong at the ball to head past
Provett for his seventh of the season. Rangers were on easy street
now and it showed as they took their foot off the gas rather than
giving Hartlepool the chasing their display thus far had warranted.
Despite having a fair bit of the ball
in the second half Hartlepool were struggling to create a decent
chance. Joel Porter stunned everybody by managing to make a run
without being flagged for offside and dragged his shot wide of
Culkin's goal. A few minutes later they managed to grab a
consolation goal after some really shoddy defending.
After having an initial attack cleared
Hartlepool worked the ball to the left and Chris Shuker knocked the
ball across the six-yard box. Shittu watched as it went past him and
Rowlands and Padula did likewise allowing former Torquay striker
Eifion Williams the chance to fire a fine shot past Culkin.
Although they had been handed a
lifeline it wasn't enough to force Rangers into any undue panic.
Holloway had the luxury of taking Thorpe and Gallen off with fifteen
minutes to go and letting Furlong and McLeod have a run out. Martin
Rowlands displayed his versatility once again by playing up front
for the last part of the game. Chances were few and far between now
although Ainsworth warmed Provett's hands with a volley from a tight
angle after latching onto a McLeod cross.
There was even a chance to continue
Matthew Rose's rehabilitation as he got another seven or eight
minutes to get back into the swing of things as a late sub for
Padula. At the whistle Rangers were understandably pleased with the
result and would have been even more so if Swindon could have shut
up shop for another thirty second rather than allowing Plymouth the
latest of winners.
We now find ourselves six points clear
of third and that is extremely satisfying with a little over half
the season to go. If we can manage to be twelve clear of third come
4.45 on May 8th then I will be even happier.
simon@qprnet.com |
