Rangers rounded off their pre-season fixtures with a crushing display against handsome Iain Dowie's Crystal Palace side at Loftus Road. Palace, fielding as strong a line up as they had available were brushed aside by a slick and focused Rangers side that look to be hitting form at the perfect time

Olly sprung a surprise by handing Jake Cole a start in sticks. With little experience of playing in front of more than two men and a dog he needed to get some match practice under his belt as he will start the season as Day’s number two. The back four was Bignot, Forbes, Gnohere and Padula. In front of them was a midfield of Ainsworth, Bean, Johnson and Rowlands, with Gallen and Thorpe in attack.

Rangers started the game at a furious pace with the strange sight of Marcus Bean prompting proceedings from the middle of the park. Beany seems to have grown immeasurably from the destroyer of last season to a player that can now pick a pass as well as putting his foot in. Rowly and Jonno both went close in the early stages, the former having a far post effort well blocked and the latter sending in a twenty yard pile driver that Palace keeper Speroni again did well to turn past the post.

Rangers had a scare midway through the half when the lightening quick Andy Johnson burst clear of the otherwise impeccable Gnohere and bore down on young Cole. Cole seemed reluctant to come from his line, something he had already done with aplomb twice in the game, and when Johnson nicked the ball away from him he seemed to bring him down. The referee saw it as a dive, as did I, and told Johnson to get to his feet. Johnson proceeded to moan about it for the rest of the half whenever the referee came within ear shot.

Rowly had another good chance to score when Ainsworth fed a ball across the box only for Rowly’s shot to be blocked as soon as it left his foot. At the other end Johnson once more broke clear and this time Cole denied him with a terrific save and soon after Rangers hit the front. Marcus Bean intercepted a ball in midfield and sent a beautifully weighted ball into the path of Thorpe. Thorpey calmly rounded Argentine Speroni and slotted the ball into the empty net.

Rangers made a raft of changes at the break with Cole, Bignot, Padula, Ainsworth, Johnson and Thorpe making way for Day, Hamilton, Edghill, McLeod, Cureton and Furlong. Gallen was pushed back into centre midfield to accommodate the changes.

Palace came close to levelling the game straight after half time when Aki Riihilahti headed against Day’s right hand post. There was no let up in tempo though and Rangers soon doubled their lead with a breathtaking strike from Furlong.

A careless back pass was played back into the vague proximity of Speroni but the Palace keeper was left stranded. Furlong quickly seized on the opportunity and without looking up, met the ball on the volley from fully thirty five yards and smashed the ball over Speroni’s head and into the far corner. It was a quite brilliant goal from a player that still has so much to offer the team in the Fizzy Pop Champions League this season.

Cureton was to limp out of the game soon after and it transpires that he may have torn a thigh muscle. If this is the case then he will surely be on the missing list for months rather than weeks. Wes Daly took his place in the side with Gallen moving back up front. The young midfielder didn’t disappoint and immediately struck up the old understanding with Bean as they began to impress as a pair.

Gallen found himself in the referee’s book when he had the temerity to get headbutted by Darren Powell. Having been given an old fashioned chasing all afternoon Powell obviously had the arse about something and stuck the nut into Gallen when the ball was well away. Naturally Gallen reacted but I am not sure how the ref booked him for it and didn’t allow Powell first use of the bath water.

With five minutes left Rangers added a third with a lovely team effort. Daly found McLeod on the left wing and he showed exactly what we all know he can do by bursting away from the Palace full back and delivering an inch perfect cross into the path of Gallen. Kev showed all of his predatory instincts to open himself out and side foot the ball home at the near post.

This was a terrific showing from Rangers against a Palace side that confirmed the views that many had of them, an average Div1 side last season who went on a good run that carried them all the way up. This was the same as Watford did a few years ago and they were promptly smashed all over the place in the Prem. Palace will be no different and I suspect they will be down with the decorations.

As for the R’s, every player did his bit today as they were clearly all playing for a starting shirt next week. The most impressive players on show were Cole, full of confidence for a youngster, Gnohere, the best I think I have seen him play, Bean, running the game in the middle of the park and Furlong, an absolute menace. A similar show next week will see us off to a decent start in this new division and should set a benchmark for the rest of the campaign.

simon@qprnet.com