The first surprise of the day came at about half eleven when Ron got a text telling him that Kevin Gallen was at Harlington watching the youth team! It transpired that he had pulled his thigh on Friday and as such Olly was forced into selecting a side without his skipper for the first time August 2003.

Royce was in goal behind Bignot, Shittu, Santos and Milanese. Moore lined up on the right of midfield with Doherty and Bircham (complete with armband) in the middle. Cook returned on the left for the first time since the opening day and Sturridge got his first ever start for the R’s to partner Furlong up front. Lomas and Langley had to make do with places on the bench with the latter disgracefully booed by a section of R’s fans.

Southampton started as you would expect a home team to in this division. They were moving the ball quickly and looking to exploit the pace and size of Jones and Fuller up front. It was Jones that had the first effort of the game with a snap shot that was beaten away by Royce. Moments later the same player hurled himself to the ground in an effort to con a freekick out of referee Beeby. This time he didn’t give it but he would give plenty of contentious decisions against both sides as the game wore on.

Rangers were struggling to create anything as there seemed to be little fluidity going forward. Cook was looking bright and lively on his return to the side but Sturridge and Furlong were not really getting hold of the ball. At the other end though Santos and Shittu were working overtime to get heads and boots onto anything that came their way. After one challenge Santos was stretchered from the field only to return a few minutes later. He really is as tough as old boots.

After half an hour Rangers hit the front with what was their only real effort of the game thus far. Rangers won a corner on the left and Lee Cook sent in a brilliant out swinging delivery. At the far post Shittu was arriving like a train and powered a ferocious header past the helpless Niemi. How Southampton failed to mark the big man was criminal and no doubt ‘arry will have been steaming about it.

There wasn’t much of a chance to revel in taking the lead away from home for the first time in ages as Southampton were on level terms only five minutes later. Santos was adjudged to have fouled Jones on the edge of the box. I thought it looked a case of one player jumping for a ball and one player not but Beeby said Santos had climbed over him. Danny Higginbotham stepped up to take the kick and drove it under the wall and past the unsighted Royce.

Before the break Royce had to be alert to deny the livewire Algerian Djamel Belmadi. The little winger had given Bignot a real going over on the flank and it was fortunate that he seemed to fade out of the game in the second half as he seemed to be the only one that really looked as though he could unlock the R’s defence.

Half time was probably more welcomed by Holloway than Redknapp but whatever the former Pompey man had said to his men clearly got them going from the off as Bignot was forced to clear an Oakley effort from beneath his own bar. All Rangers could muster at the other end was a hopeful thirty yard blast from a freekick from Shittu. Now I know he hit the bar in pre-season but I am not sure what else he has done to justify him taking this.

Good work from Cook on the left saw him play an incisive through ball into the path of the hopelessly out of touch Furlong. He was caught offside but in truth had he got the ball I am not sure he would have done anything with it. I don’t want to knock Furs but I just cannot see where he is going to get a goal and he seems to be a shadow of the hero of the past two and a half seasons.

With an hour played Sturridge was replaced by Nygaard and this was probably wise as he was walking a tightrope with Mr Beeby. He had been booked in the first half for walking away from a freekick after lining up the wall and clattered into a Saints defender on halfway. He could have been booked again but luckily Beeby thought better of it despite the offence being far worse than those that he booked Santos and Bircham for. It was a decent workout for Deano though as he seeks match fitness after a stop stop beginning to his Rangers career.

Shittu was like a man mountain in the path of Southampton at the other end and twice he blocked fierce efforts at goal before they troubled Royce. The keeper had to be alert though when Kenwyne Jones was afforded a free header only to see Royce pluck it confidently from the air.

Cook was certainly getting the better of his tussle with Hajto and he swung in another devilish cross that was headed wide at the far post by Marc Nygaard. Since he had come on he had showed that he can head the ball and erm, anyone..? To me he looks like a player that is there for nuisance value and not much else unfortunately.

Steve Lomas was now into the fray after Doherty ran out of steam as per usual. The Ulsterman did as I expected him to from the off, lead the team. For me he should be starting and skippering the side and that is after seeing him in one reserve game and twenty minutes at St Mary’s.

Fuller seemed to be clean through on goal with a little over ten minutes left only for Shittu to accelerate past him and bustle him off the ball and clear the danger. Then Higginbotham tried his luck from distance again and troubled the crowd far more than the Royce. Royce was called into action soon after though as Powell headed a corner straight into his hands.

Deep into injury time Langley came on for his second R’s debut. He was once again booed by some of the R’s fans who seem to have re-written history. Cardiff made a bid for Langley who had turned down a contract for less money than he was on. Rather than lose him for nothing Rangers took the money to plough back into the squad. Cardiff offered Langley double his money and he went. He didn’t want to go, he was sold. If another club had offered the same I am sure he would have gone there, but they didn’t. If someone offered you twice the money you were earning you would take it like a shot so why is a footballer not allowed to do this? It’s a job isn’t it? So why not get off his back for five minutes!

There were no other chances to speak of as the game ended in a draw that the R’s fans were far happier with than the Saints fans. A couple of weeks ago Sheffield Wednesday came to Loftus Road and did a number on us. After that Olly said we needed to learn how to play like that away from home sometimes when it is better to get a point than go all out and get nothing. Well we have learned. Some won’t like it but people have to understand that you can’t go hell for leather in every game especially when you have been shipping goals on the road at an alarming rate. You have to start somewhere to stop the rot and keeping things tight is the catalyst.

There some excellent displays and some not so good ones. Royce, Shittu and Santos were outstanding as was Lomas when he came on. Cook on his return was his usual tricky self and once he is back to full fitness he will be a match winner for us. The problem we have though is goals and with Furlong struggling, Gallen injured, Sturridge short of fitness and Moore being played on the wing, things are looking a little tight up top.

Luton on Tuesday will be a tough test but this display will stand us in good stead. We have to build on this and hope that one of our strikers grabs a goal that kick starts them into a scoring run. One end has seemingly been fixed, now it is time to fix the other.

simon@qprnet.com