Royce was back in goal behind a back four of Bignot, Shittu, Santos and Rose. The midfield also changed with Rowlands, Langley, Bircham and Cook teaming up. The final change was up front where Nygaard was brought in to partner Furlong. There were places on the bench for teen prodigies Scott Donnelly and Shabazz Baidoo.

Rangers started the game quickly and it was clear that they had been stung into action by the justified criticism that had come their way after the last couple of games. Lee Cook forced an excellent save from Neil Alexander with less than five minutes on the clock. The mercurial winger stepped onto a ball wide on the left of the area and the Cardiff keeper did well to gather the stinging drive and not parry it into a crowded area.

It was clear from the off that Marc Nygaard was going to be the fulcrum of the R’s attack and he started the match in fine style. He was helped by the fact that the centre half marking him, Glenn Loovens, was absolute toilet. He didn’t seem to be either footed or any good in the air! The havoc the giant Dane was creating was allowing plenty of room for Furlong to go about his business.

He shot wide and then sent a header into the arms of Alexander as Rangers started to exert more and more pressure on the defensively minded Welshmen. Going the other way Cardiff were looking to get the ball into Cameron Jerome and then have Jason Koumas get up to support him from his position just off the front man. This was failing as Shittu and Santos had the England U21 man on a tight reign.

Georges was having one of those games where everything he did was coming off. He put in an absolute blockbuster on Koumas that sent the former Tranny flying high into the White City sky. As the game neared the twenty minute mark Rangers came within a coat of paint of taking the lead.

A scruffy looking attack saw Rowlands lift the ball over Loovens and into the path of Nygaard. The big man snaked out one of his oak like legs and toed the ball over Alexander and off the top of the bar. It was incredible that he had even managed to get there; it was as if he had borrowed Inspector Gadgets legs!

It was all Rangers but Cardiff were still a danger and most of their good work was coming via Koumas. He went down in instalments after a challenge from Langley, for which the former Bluebird was cautioned. From the resulting freekick he whipped a shot just wide of Royce’s post with the keeper looking seriously worried.

Langley returned fire at the other end shortly after but this time his shot got a wicked deflection off of Loovens and looked destined to arc into the top corner. Alexander was on hand to intervene once again with another top drawer save as he clawed the ball to safety.

As the half time whistle sounded there was no doubt that Rangers had been by far the better side yet as has so often been the case this season, we had failed to turn our massive advantage in possession into either genuine chances or a goal. That would all change within a minute of the second half kicking off though as Rangers got off to the best start imaginable.

Lee Cook picked up the ball on the left and instead of going at the ageing Neil Ardley he sent in an early cross. This seemed to take Cox and Loovens by surprise and Nygaard was on hand to burst between them and thunder an unstoppable header past Alexander and into the net. That goal made it four goals in six starts for the giant Dane and only served to enhance his reputation as the most influential striker at the club.

He went on a mazy dribble minutes later and shimmied his way past four Cardiff players before losing control as he was about to strike. Koumas came close to an equaliser when he forced Royce into a good low save from a strike from outside the area. As is so often the case, Rangers were starting to sink deeper and deeper and the pressure from Cardiff was starting to become incessant.

Santos and Shittu were playing like men possessed at the back and the dangerous Jerome was getting little joy from either. When he did finally manage to wriggle clear he could only send a shot straight at Royce. Holloway needed to make some changes to get some fresh impetus into the side so he replaced the knackered Nygaard with Baidoo.

Shabba was off and running immediately and won a freekick from the hapless Loovens after leading the Bluebirds defence a merry dance from the off. He was showing the blistering pace that has made him so successful at youth and reserve level and he already looks a far more complete and threatening player than the older, more experienced Moore.

Cook sent an effort wide before he was replaced by Ainsworth with twenty minutes left. This meant that Rowlands switched to the left side and he was immediately more involved in the game. He had looked quiet on the right flank and had struggled to get into the action at times. Langley was also starting to have more influence alongside Bircham. The latter had been the senior partner for much of the game, especially when Langley was getting the bird off the Cardiff fans. As the game wore on and things became more stretched he started to get into his stride and showed some typically creative touches.

It was from his corner that Shittu sent a thumping header just over the top from fully eighteen yards. The height the centre half got on his jump was staggering, there aren’t many that can head a ball downward and it still go over the goal!

Rowlands should have put the game beyond doubt when Baidoo’s pace took him well clear of the Cardiff defence. His ball into Rowlands was inch perfect but instead of trying to place it he tried to knock the cover off of it and he cleared the bar with ease. Shortly afterwards Baidoo missed an even better chance when he crashed a shot goalward only to see Alexander make his third top class save of the night.

Things were getting tense now and in the last few weeks we have been so poor defensively that you almost expected a gift wrapped equaliser to be handed to Cardiff. Today was different though as Santos and Shittu carried on heading and belting balls away for fun and Milanese, who had now slotted in at left back, was also on hand to throw himself at anything that came his way.

Cardiff kept coming though and they still had three more good chances to get something as the game entered the final five minutes. Firstly Royce did well to turn aside a crashing volley from Boland. Jerome then managed to escape the clutches of Shittu to head wide before the centre half fouled the striker to present Koumas with one last chance. His freekick from bang in the middle of the goal was well struck but only found the forehead of Ainsworth and the danger was cleared. In truth this was Ainsworth’s only real involvement in what was a very subdued showing from him.

The full time whistle brought joy and relief in equal measure to the Loftus Road faithful and ended a wretched run at home. This was our first home win since we defeated Norwich and only our second win in the last eleven games home and away. It was much better than of late but there is still a fair way to go before we can say that we are happy with how we are playing.

There is no doubt that having a fit Nygaard will make a huge difference to us as his aerial threat is huge as his ability to link the play. Having Bircham back also made a difference, he is much maligned, often by me, but as we were saying amongst ourselves tonight, you miss him when he isn’t there, although we couldn’t put our finger on why! What also helps massively is having Shittu in the sort of imperious form he showed tonight. That has been lacking of late so it was great to see him keep a striker firmly in his pocket.

We now face a New Years Eve trip to Crewe and we mustn’t get beaten or this hard fought win will count for nothing. If we can play as we did for much of the first half in this one then we should have more than enough to see off a side ten points worse off than us in the table. We are nothing if not a Jekyll and Hyde side though so let’s wait and see what Saturday brings.

simon@qprnet.com