Rangers were thankful for a late Paul Furlong equaliser to get them out of jail after a poor showing against a physical Millwall side. In a game that saw the home team dragged into a battle to which they were ill suited a draw was far more than they really deserved.

With Rowly potentially breaking a foot against Burnley at the weekend Olly was forced into changes. Padula came in for Rowlands but no less than three players lined up in different positions to Saturday. Day was in goal behind a back four of Simek, Santos, Rose and Padula. Bignot played right midfield alongside Bircham, Branco and Cook. Gallen and Furlong continued in attack.

Rangers started the match the brighter and former Lion Bircham had two long range efforts clear the bar as he seemed desperate to notch against his former employers. For most of the game he had the Millwall fans singing about him, he must have made quite an impression for them to spend so little time singing about their own players!

Football was at a premium as Millwall seemed to be obsessed with the incredible throwing ability of the Canadian Adrian Serioux. The man is a freak pure and simple and it comes to something when you can’t give away a throw on halfway without the ball arriving in the six yard box. Much to Serioux’s annoyance Rangers deployed a man in front of him every time to try and disrupt him. It would work with spectacular success later in the game.

Bignot, playing in an unfamiliar right midfield berth, almost created an opening for Paul Furlong. He slipped the attentions of David Livermore and tried to play Furlong in. The ball was smuggled away before he could get a clean shot in, a ball to Gallen would have been the better option as he lurked unmarked six yards out.

A colossal throw in nearly led to Millwall taking the lead when Day flapped at one and the ball fell invitingly at the far post to Mark Phillips. There was a melee of legs flying at the ball and somehow it managed to skew well wide of the goal when it seemed easier to hit the target from that range. It was a real let off and you hoped that it would stir Rangers into playing some football but this was not the case. The central pairing of Bircham and Branco were contributing little and as such the wide men were being starved of the ball almost completely.

Referee Prosser was beginning to get warmed up though and soon found himself taking Santos’ name for running Barry Hayles off of the ball. It was a fair decision but what followed was amazing. Cook and Padula combined on the left and filthy Aussie hatchet man and all round bad tempered scrote Kevin Muscat tried to scythe down Cook. He managed to miss but succeeded in hammering Gino yet somehow this was not a booking. It seems now that referee’s are just choosing to ignore this mans indiscretions as it is easier than getting a load of ear hole off of him and his cronies when they take his name.

Neither side managed to fashion a decent opening before the whistle sounded for half time. I thought things should have been changed then and Branco sacrificed for Thorpe with Gallen dropping back but the same eleven began the half and it couldn’t have started much worse. Within five minutes Hayles was gifted the softest of goals.

A ball into the box was not cleared properly and it ended up at the feet of the former Fulham striker and he made no mistake in beating Day to open the scoring. Olly had to respond now and he did so by throwing Thorpe and McLeod on for the poor Padula and Branco. Rangers almost came a cropper straight away when Hayles ran through Santos but could only hack a wild effort into the stand.

Finally a lifeline emerged when Serioux was dismissed for an act of violent petulance. Cook faced him up when he prepared to take a throw and instead of slinging it three miles as per normal he smashed the ball into Cook’s face. Prosser lolloped his way over to consult his lino and then flashed the red card at the crazy Canuk. Almost immediately Olly tinkered again and threw Santos up front to go 3-4-3 and try and push Millwall back.

Panic was starting to set in amongst the Rangers players when there was really no need for it. Aimless balls were being pumped forward to nobody in particular and more often than not the owner of Bermondsey’s finest mullet Darren Ward was heading everything straight back. He was showing the sort of imperious form that made him a fans favourite at Rangers in his loan spell from Watford.

Livermore should have doubled the lead when Jo Tessem managed to stay onside and square the ball. It was virtually an open goal for Livermore to aim at yet he only managed to send the ball into The Loft. At the other end Gallen volleyed over from the edge of the area and a resigned air descended over Loftus Road. We had not played well and it didn’t seem that anything we tried was going to get the vital goal.

There were just over three minutes remaining though when a hero emerged from the disorganised rabble in hoops. Gallen played a ball into the feet of Santos and he fed the ball into Furlong’s path. The veteran striker made no mistake as he sent a low right footed effort in off the post from twenty yards. Loftus Road erupted as the tension of a poor nights football was finally lifted.

I was all for shutting up shop and taking the point we scarcely deserved but Rangers kept on pouring forward. Lee Cook suddenly found a yard of space on the right side and flung in a cross to the far post. Right on cue McLeod arrived and he seemed certain to tuck the ball away but his left footed effort flew well wide. At the other end Bignot had to slide into the six yard box and turn the ball over the bar as Hayles threatened to steal a late winner.

The final whistle brought welcome relief and this was very much a point gained rather than two dropped. At no point after Millwall scored did it look like Rangers would get a draw and even when Serioux had his mad moment things never really improved. Maybe this was a game too far for the thinning squad and with a bit of luck a few more will be back for West Ham on Saturday.

There wasn’t much to be pleased with in truth and only the displays of Simek at right back and Furlong in attack can be taken as positives. Simek displayed great maturity and a great touch on a number of occasions and Furlong just kept plugging away even though he was tightly shackled by Ward. Things will have to improve on Saturday or it could be a long old trip back on the Central Line.

simon@qprnet.com