Most people in the ground were expecting changes to the side after the Plymouth game but there were none. Royce was in goal behind Bignot, Shittu, Evatt and Dyer. Gallen, Bircham, Doherty and Cook lined up in midfield with Nygaard and Furlong up front. This line up caused many an unhappy murmuring before the game as it seemed that we could well be in for more of the same.

When the game started it was clear that these players were out to prove a point and they set about Norwich with gusto. The first effort of the game was a speculative long range freekick from Cook that didn’t trouble Rob Green. Once again Nygaard was the focal point of the attacks and it was clear from the off that the Norwich central pairing of Craig Fleming and Gary Doherty simply had no answer to his movement or aerial ability.

When Rangers hit the front after just 11 minutes it was no surprise that it was through the giant Dane. Rangers set off on a flowing move up field and Cook was fed into space on the left wing by Dyer. He sent a high cross over the entire Norwich back four and Gallen was on hand to cushion a header perfectly into the path of Nygaard. The Beast twisted brilliantly in the air to send a powerful header past the hopelessly exposed Green.

Norwich tried to hit back and were unlucky not to equalise when Ian Henderson’s shot was deflected wide by the arm of Dyer. It wasn’t a penalty as Dyer could not have known anything about it but it actually sent the shot closer to the goal than it was going. Norwich appealed for a pen nonetheless and whinging Dean Ashton was at the forefront of the protests when it didn’t come.

They took the corner and from it they were again appealing for a pen as Ashton claimed short pulling at the far post. There certainly was some pulling but it seemed to be Gary Doherty that was doing it as he attempted to hold Nygaard off. Ashton spent a good five minutes wandering around holding his torn shirt and moaning like an old woman.

As if to compound his misery Rangers had doubled their advantage within minutes. Norwich conceded a freekick on the right wing and Cook came across to send a perfect in swinger into the box. Furlong jumped highest and to use some Ronglish, gave it the little eyebrows to send it past the static Green and into the far corner. Loftus Road exploded; this was beyond what anyone could have imagined before the game. We knew Norwich were struggling but you don’t expect to be two goals to the good before twenty minutes are on the clock.

Shortly after Rangers were dealt a blow when Nygaard seemed to tweak a hamstring. As usual he had been galloping about like Red Rum on speed and after trying to charge down a clearance he plonked himself on the deck and that was that. Sturridge was his replacement and it meant that Furs now had to become the focal point of the attacks and he stepped up to the plate ably.

Norwich had another chance to get back into the game when Doherty fouled Huckerby thirty yards from goal. He seemed to be booked for the challenge but reports seem to indicate it was Bignot. Ashton stepped up and sent a comedy freekick yards wide of Royce’s goal.

Holloway was soon forced into another change when Bircham broke down. He had been a doubt before the game with a back injury and hadn’t lasted to the break. Santos was his replacement and he was booed as he came onto the field. Whether you like a player or not, there is no need to heckle him before he has even had a touch of the ball. He is one of our players and should be given the same support as everyone else. If you want to slag him off do it on the train home, or in the pub, not when he is coming on and just trying to do a job for the team.

As it was it only took Georges four minutes to ram the jeers back down the morons throats as he volleyed home Rangers’ third. Rangers won a corner and instead of going into the box Santos hung back on the edge looking for any scraps that might come his way. When the Norwich clearance went high rather than long he didn’t need asking twice. His technique and body shape was good as he met the ball sweetly to send it through Green and into the net. That made it seven goals conceded in two first halves for Norwich this week!

When the half time whistle blew the Norwich players were rightly booed off the field by their fans after a disgraceful showing. They had been more preoccupied with arguing amongst themselves and moaning to the ref than trying to shore things up and get a foothold in the game.

The start of the second half didn’t seem any better for Norwich despite them making a couple of changes. Tommy Doherty was in sensational form at the heart of the R’s midfield as he picked out pass after pass and tackled and harried like a madman. You just wonder how good he could be if they could get his basic level of fitness up and get him off the woodbines!

Sturridge had a shot that was blocked and it came back to Ian Evatt who also came close to opening his Rangers account. He cracked a stinging shot from the edge of the area and it seemed to be on target before Gary Doherty bravely threw his testicles in the way much to the amusement of the R’s fans.

At the other end Royce was finally called into action as Huckerby and Ashton linked up to put the 21 year old in on goal. He shot but Royce parried the ball away, it went as far as Marney who blazed his shot high over the bar. Soon after they had another effort when Marney sent a twenty five yard freekick past Royce’s post with the keeper helpless to intervene.

Tommy Doherty then led the charge upfield as Rangers looked to grab their fourth. Breaking out after a Norwich corner The Doc found himself the furthest man up the pitch and he barrelled toward goal. You could see his legs getting slower and slower and rather than shoot he tried to pick Furlong out at the far post. His cross had too much gas though and went out for a goal kick.

Royce was soon called into action again as Ashton shot for goal from outside the box. The effort took a deflection en route and this made Royce’s save even better. He flew into the air to turn the ball over the top and then got up like a gymnast rather than an ageing keeper with a stiff neck!

With eight minutes left to play Ainsworth replaced Cook and you could almost see the tears rolling down Doherty’s face as he faced up to having to play the full ninety! Ainsworth almost laid claim to the fourth when he headed home from a Gallen corner. Referee Olivier chalked the goal off though as the keeper had been bumped out of the way as the ball arrived in the six yard box.

Furlong very nearly scored again when he ran onto yet another perfect pass from Doherty but could only fire high over the bar after shaking off Fleming. The final whistle brought relief as much as anything as Rangers proved they still knew how to win a game after a tough spell of late.

The big difference in this game when compared to the Plymouth match was the delivery into the box. On Tuesday it was consistently poor, yesterday it was consistently good. Our set pieces have come on a bundle but your bread and butter is the cross from open play and so it proved today with the opening goal.

Every player that turned out today gave of their all and did very well. I think that the shambles that is Norwich City at the moment helped but sometimes you need to play a team like that to get the confidence going.

We have to make sure this is built on now and that we don’t let it slip up at Derby next weekend. Injuries may force Holloway into changes, the key could well be how serious the injury to Nygaard is as he has become a vital cog, if not the vital cog, in the R’s attacking machine.

simon@qprnet.com