Following the win at Cardiff Gregory made only one enforced change to the side as Ainsworth was out with his ankle injury. Royce was in goal behind Mancienne, Rehman, Stewart and Bignot with Ward, Bailey, Smith and Cook in midfield. Blackstock partnered Nygaard up front whilst Rowlands and Gallen returned to the bench after injury. There was also a bench spot for fourth choice keeper Sean Thomas. 

Rangers should have been ahead as early as the second minute when Cook won a freekick on the left wing. His delivery caught Coventry cold and Stewart piled in unmarked at the near post but headed over when he should have scored. Coventry then took hold of the game and had four excellent unanswered chances. 

Veteran midfielder Colin Cameron fired at Royce from long range before a Duffy cross wasn’t converted by the converging Coventry strikers. Darren Currie, who had joined on loan deadline day, then fired in a brilliant ball that was begging to be tapped in but it was too good for everyone. Cameron then tried his luck from closer in but his shot went so wide it went for a throw on! 

Referee Penton was already beginning to frustrate the Loftus Road crowd with some ropey old decisions and a shot from Ward showed just how bad his decision making process was. The ball took a huge deflection, flew past the post and cannoned off of the pole holding the net up. The ball rolled over toward the corner flag and went off on the touchline side of it. He first signalled a goal kick, then a throw on and then a corner!  

Penton then awarded Coventry a corner after Adebola deflected Doyle’s goal bound header behind! McKenzie forced a brave save from Royce when he escaped the attentions of the R’s centre backs to get to Marshall’s wind assisted punt first. Royce slid out feet first to execute a perfect sliding tackle.  

Adebola was causing Rehman all sorts of problems on the deck. The R’s defender seemed to have the beating of him in the air but on the floor he was guilty of getting too close to the big striker and getting turned for fun. Big Dele is all left foot but this didn’t stop Rehman letting him turn that way any time he wanted to.  

As the half was drawing to a close Rangers established a foothold back in the match as they forced some pressure on the Coventry goal. Jimmy Smith fired in a low shot that Marshall gathered easily before the former Norwich man got down low to keep out a snapshot from Dexter Blackstock. That would be Blackstock’s last involvement as injury forced him off. He had collided with Stewart as they tried to clear a corner and took a blow to the face. It later transpired that he will be x-rayed for a fractured cheekbone. 

Ray Jones took his place and he almost scored immediately when the ball bounced kindly for him and he cracked a left footed shot past Marshall’s left hand post. Rehman missed a great chance at the far post when he met a Cook delivery but he seemed to take a slight nudge in the back as he made contact and he nodded the ball over the top. 

Cook had the final chance of the half and forced Marshall into the best save of the half. More quick footed play carried him away from a whole host of Cov defenders and his low shot was saved brilliantly. The great finish to the first half from Rangers was quickly replaced by a sloppy start to the second as Coventry took the lead with the half only two minutes old. 

McKenzie missed a great chance when he appeared to foul Bignot as they went for the ball but referee Penton let play go on. He had something of a rush of blood and with only Royce to beat he shot wildly into the stand. A minute later his strike partner showed him how to do it properly. 

Rehman headed the ball clear but it came straight back to Adebola and Rehman was once again right up the back of him. Adebola turned away and powered toward goal before firing left footed past the exposed Royce. It was awful defending again from a man that seems to have made it his trademark since he arrived from Fulham. The only thing more surprising than his lack of improvement is the fact that the manager persists with him. 

Rangers came within a whisker of the equaliser when Bignot found Nygaard at the far post and the big Dane had a rare effort at goal. His header looped over Marshall and bounced off of the top of the bar. That was his last involvement as he and the woeful Bailey were replaced with Gallen and Rowlands as Gregory went for a more attacking look. 

The changes almost worked against Rangers though as Coventry broke quickly and Currie headed Marcus Hall’s cross over the bar. Rangers now set about peppering The Loft with shots as they tried to get back into it. Gallen, Cook and Smith all shot into the crowd from good positions when they should have at least been testing Marshall. 

Cook was leading Richard Duffy a merry dance on the left flank so Coventry changed tactics and decided to kick him out of the game. Cook was being afforded no protection from referee Penton as three blatant fouls on him went unpunished and he was even warned to stop going down! Perhaps if the ref would stop people fouling him he might be able to! It was as poor a refereeing display as we have seen in the last couple of months. 

Leon McKenzie then missed a fantastic chance as Hall’s curling cross found him six yards out but he managed to plant his diving header wide when it seemed easier to score. Rangers were throwing everyone forward now. Royce had come up for a corner and in one attack both centre backs were up in the opposition area from open play. 

Stewart came within millimetres of an equaliser at the death when a Bignot cross was glanced on by Gallen at the near post. The big Jamaican slid in at the far stick but the ball just evaded his outstretched leg. It would have been a goal that handed Rangers a deserved point on the balance of play but the simple truth is we didn’t hit the target enough given the chances created. 

One defeat in six isn’t quite enough to have people fashioning nooses just yet but the mistakes that allow people simple goal scoring chances have to be cut out. Stewart was outstanding at the back but with Rehman next to him it really doesn’t matter how much good work he does, there will be a monumental balls up somewhere around the corner. 

The centre of the midfield was lightweight and Bailey played as poorly as I have ever seen him. He gave the ball away every time he got it and didn’t really make enough tackles to make up for it. Ward was anonymous also and showed that he is no right sided midfielder.  

Nygaard did nothing up front and Rangers seemed a lot more potent with Jones and Gallen in tandem and I fancy them to start together against Sunderland. A response is required and Gregory will no doubt have torn strips off them in the changing room after what he himself described as “a disappointing display”.

Man of the Match - Lee Cook: Despite taking a battering from the Coventry defenders and being accused of diving by referee that clearly had a problem with him Cookie turned in yet another top class performance. Make the most of it.

simon@qprnet.com