Have your say on our message board
Upload your QPR pictures to our photo gallery
Read a range of opinions on our regular blogs
Check your team's progress in Fantasy Rangers
Stay in touch on the move with QPRnet Mobile
Decent teams grind out ugly wins if they want to achieve anything. The game against Stockport County was exactly that. Not a game that people will wax lyrical about for years to come, but a solid, battling display to end a five game winless run that was threatening to jeopardise the season.
Following the good performance against Manchester City in the Carling Cup Olly was happy to stick with the majority of that side. Day started in goal behind the back four of Edghill, Carlisle, Forbes and Padula. The midfield remained the same as well with Ainsworth, Bircham, Rowlands and McLeod looking to create some decent chances for the front pair of Gallen and Thorpe. Thorpe had come back in for Pacquette after his lacklustre showing against City and his subsequent public slating from Holloway.
Rangers were dealt a blow barely five minutes into the game when Bircham was forced from the game through injury. At the time it looked like he had tweaked a hamstring but it now transpires that it is a back problem and not as serious as it first appeared. Steve Palmer stepped off of the bench to take his place and immediately you could feel the disappointment amongst the Rangers fans. Palmer certainly doesn't help you if you want to play free flowing football and his aimless hoofs without looking up were evident almost immediately.
Both teams started brightly although chances were at a premium. Gareth Ainsworth seemed to be getting the better of young left back Danny Jackman and diagonal balls from both fullbacks toward he and McLeod were clearly the order of the day. The opening goal came from the first genuine goal threat either side managed to carve out.
Kevin McLeod found himself in a more central area and the ball sat up beautifully for him to strike at goal. His initial shot was charged down but he remained alert and quickly followed up to whip the ball across the face of goal where Gallen was waiting to tap home an easy chance from close range. This goal gave the side a visible boost and all of a sudden Stockport were getting cut to pieces on the counter attack.
Time and again Rangers seemed to have the chance to break quickly although a seeming lack of understanding between Thorpe and his teammates scuppered more than one attack. On three or four occasions his lack of willingness to run and create space and his inability to pick the correct ball meant that promising attacks came to nothing. This nearly proved costly as Lambert hammered a volley wide from outside the box before Rangers scored with a terrific incisive goal.
Yet another break from Rangers saw Gallen end up with the ball at his feet on the edge of the Stockport area. In keeping with his assured creative display so far he waited for the run of Rowlands before slipping him in with a delightfully weighted pass. Rowlands showed a cool head as he waited from James Spencer in the Stockport goal to commit himself, before slotting home.
Just a minute later and as the halftime whistle was about to sound it could have been three. Ainsworth swung over an excellent cross and Gallen hauled himself into the air to attempt a spectacular scissors kick not in keeping with his usual style of play. The ball seemed destined for the top corner before Spencer intervened to claw the ball away.
Half time didn't seem to change things too much as Rangers came out with purpose after the break and looked to add to their advantage. The game was now becoming stretched and Owen Morrison was beginning to use his pace to start some Stockport counter attacks of their own. Twice he put in superb crosses only to see one drift across goal and the other turned away by the once more impressive Edghill. Gino was having a torrid time against the former Wednesday winger and he found himself booked for a cynical handball to deny Morrison a clear run at the heart of the Rangers defence.
Gallen should have made it three when he managed to cut inside his man at the far post to take advantage of a kindly bounce. He had for more time than he realised and snatched at a left footed effort and sent the ball sailing closer to the corner flag than the goal. Ainsworth was also trying to get in on the action and slammed a trademark volley at goal from thirty yards only to find Spencer well placed to gather. He also did the same as the game drew to a close only for the result to be the same.
Kevin McLeod should have added the third when he shot straight at Spencer from the edge of the box and you began to wonder whether all of the missed chances would begin to add up in the end. New Stockport manager Sammy McIlroy made a change with the lively Morrison coming off to be replaced by Chris Williams. He should have scored with a far post header but somehow managed to head the ball into the ground so hard that it bounced over the bar. He battled on though and it was the sub that handed The Hatters a lifeline with five minutes left to play.
McLeod gave away a free kick near the corner flag and the ball was only half cleared from the Rangers box. Williams had time to set himself before lashing a fierce volley past Day and into the net to set up a frenetic final five minutes. Day had to be alert to gather a header from Aaron Wilbraham and he also did well to rush from his goal to clear the ball for a throw when it looked as though Barlow may get to it ahead of him.
Rangers still had chances to counter attack though as Stockport committed men forward in search of the equaliser. A quick ball from Day found Ainsworth and the winger looked to secure possession near the corner. If he had managed to look up he would have seen Thorpe and McLeod screaming for the square ball without a defender in sight. Not to worry though as Rangers managed to hang in through a combination of dogged defending and precious luck.
This result was much needed as things had gone off the boil a little following the injury to Furlong. I still think we need to move into the loan market to replace him though as Thorpe showed today that he isn't the type of player that will roll up his sleeves and battle in a tricky away fixture.
There were lots of good performances in the game though with Day, Edghill and Forbes all catching the eye at the back. In midfield Ainsworth looked sharper than he had for a couple of weeks and gave young Jackman a lesson in the realities of Div2 by getting him booked when the lad simply couldn't get out of the way! Martin Rowlands was the constant threat we now come to expect and in attack Kevin Gallen led by example and was my Man of the Match.
Two cup games await us now and I am of the view that neither are as important as the next league game against Brentford on Tuesday week. If it means that we have to rest a couple of people to get them fit then so be it as Div2 is the bread and butter and should be the be all and end all of our focus.
simon@qprnet.com
