Rangers got off to a solid start with a workmanlike display against a resolute Rotherham United in the blistering furnace of Loftus Road. With pitch side temperatures soaring to 100 degrees this was never going to be a classic and turned out to be something of a fact finding mission for the season.

Olly didn’t spring any surprises with his starting eleven. Day was in goal behind Bignot, Rose, Gnohere and Padula. Ainsworth and Rowlands provided the width alongside a solid spine of Bean and Johnson. Last seasons lethal strike pairing of Gallen and Furlong were spearheading the attack.

Rangers almost made the worst start imaginable when after barely thirty seconds they conceded a free kick on the left wing. The delivery into the box was excellent and Millers skipper Chris Swailes rose to meet the ball with a glancing header that Day had to save superbly. It was a free header and wouldn’t be the last one we would let them have.

Undeterred Rangers went to the other end of the field and promptly took the lead. A lightening break saw the ball end up with Jonno on the left wing. He turned back and floated a beautiful cross to the far post where the ever more hirsute Gareth Ainsworth charged onto the ball to thump a header past the helpless Mike Pollitt. Four minutes had gone and Rangers had bagged their first goal in the Fizzy Pop Champions League.

Rotherham were not for rolling over though and they continued to play to their strengths. They looked to win as many free kicks around the box as they could and take advantage of the excellent delivery from Darren Garner. Their equaliser when it came had as much to do with this as to do with the joke of a linesman patrolling the Ellerslie Road touchline. Firstly he somehow managed to see a foul when Richie Barker tumbled to the floor under the slightest touch from Rose. The ball was whipped in and headed down at the far post into the path of Paul Shaw who seemed to be two yards offside. He tucked the ball home unchecked to bring Rotherham back on terms.

Rowly went close with a header soon after this as Rangers tried to regain the lead. Furs was now starting to come into thee game more after a quiet start and he was causing Swailes and Gilchrist problems. Pollitt had to be at his very best to deny him just after the half hour mark when he attempted to lift the ball over him. Pollitt kept his eyes on his lazy lob and had to back pedal furiously to tip it over the bar.

The players would have been grateful to get out of the oppressive heat for a few precious minutes at half time and when they came back out it was Rangers the took the game by the scruff of the neck. Ainsworth charged down the wing, his magnificent lamb chops giving him the look of Gerry Francis in his heyday, and he cut the ball across the six yard box but just too far for anyone to get the vital touch.

The amateurish referee Paul Armstrong then infuriated the Loftus Road faithful by denying Ainsworth a stonewall penalty. Furlong cleverly played the ball into his path and he seemed destined to get a shot away but was blatantly tripped as he rounded a Rotherham defender. How the referee didn’t give it is a mystery. Well actually it’s not as he was an absolute disgrace all afternoon.

Chances were becoming rarer now as both teams started to flag in the searing heat. Furlong should have done better with a far post header following another excellent cross from Ainsworth and at the other end the outstanding Marcus Bignot turned away a cross from Chris Sedgwick before former Sunderland own goal specialist Michael Proctor could pounce.

Holloway rang the changes with ten minutes to play. Bignot, Bean and the disappointing Rowlands made way for debutant Georges Santos, Tony Thorpe and Kevin McLeod. Santos introduced himself to the R’s faithful by conceding a free kick before he had even touched the ball. McLeod and Thorpe on the other hand combined with Padula and came within a whisker of snatching all three points.

McLeod and Padula combined on the left and Gino whipped in a fine cross straight onto the forehead of Thorpe. His header was firm and well placed and the whole crowd were celebrating when Pollitt seemingly appeared from nowhere to produce a world class save to turn the ball away.

That was it in terms of chances and I think both sides will be reasonably happy with an opening day point. This was very much a case of finding their feet for the Rangers boys and it was noticeable that the ones that had played at this level before seemed far more comfortable. The players that really stood out for Rangers were Bignot and Ainsworth. They combined time and again to give Scott Minto a torrid old time.

Watford on Monday will be a tougher test coming so quickly after this game. Our record at Vicarage Road has been poor in recent years and we will need to step up a notch from this to make sure that we don’t get turned over.

simon@qprnet.com