Gregory stuck with the same starting XI that had played out the thrilling draw with Norwich at the weekend. Paul Jones was in goal behind Lomas, Stewart, Rehman and Bignot. Rowlands, Bircham, Smith and Cook were in midfield behind a front two of Blackstock and Ray Jones. Michael Mancienne made the bench after signing on loan from Chelsea on Monday. 

Rangers had two great early chances. First Rowlands saw his freekick deflected for a corner and from the set piece Damion Stewart saw his powerful header cleared off of the line. The good start didn’t last long though and Derby scored with their first attack of the game.

Morten Bisgaard picked up the ball and ran toward the centre backs, he was expecting one of them to go and close him down but when they didn’t he picked his spot and curled a beauty past Paul Jones. For the third game in a row we had managed to find ourselves behind with less than four minutes on the clock. The hesitant defending of Stewart and Rehman would be a theme for the evening as they continued to build a reputation as the worst centre back pairing of the last decade at Loftus Road.

As we have now come to expect Rangers responded with gusto and could have been level with the next attack. Lee Cook skinned Marc Edworthy and he sent in a great ball to the far post where Blackstock rose to meet it. He got plenty of power on the ball and it looked to be in before Lee Grant snaked out an arm to deflect it behind.

The equaliser wasn’t long in coming though and it was an absolute belter. The ball went into the box and as it bounced out Jimmy Smith walked onto it and sent a left footed volley screaming past Grant into the top corner. That made it two in two for the Chelsea starlet, with a bit of luck Jose will allow him to stay at Rangers for the season as this boy is a bit special. 

Lee Cook was jinking his way past Derby players at will now but on too many occasions his good balls into the box weren’t met by Blackstock or Jones. They are only young lads and they will have games like this, they will learn where to run as they make their way in the game. 

Paul Jones was still getting plenty of work as Rehman this time allowed Lupoli the freedom of the six yard box to send a point blank header at goal. He must have thought he had scored until the veteran Welshman appeared to block the ball away. He then flew high to his left to turn Seth Johnson’s freekick over the top after the wall had disintegrated in front of him. 

Just after the half hour mark the pace on the left side of the Derby team exposed Lomas at right back and they grabbed what turned out to be the winning goal. Mo Camara flew down the left and his ball into the box was met by Lupoli who was once more denied by Jones. The keeper wasn’t able to hold the shot though and it rolled into the path of the hulking Howard who had somehow gone undetected by the R’s defence. It was like watching Bush hunt Bin Laden! The former Luton man had the simplest of tasks to tuck the ball away for his fifth of the season. 

Neither side managed to fashion another chance before halftime, partly due to the fact that Derby were already swinging the lead and running down time at every opportunity. Straight after the restart Rehman dallied on the ball and only managed to hack his clearance against Adam Bolder and it flew over the top of Jones’ bar. 

At the other end Dexter Blackstock was on the end of a Cook cross but Jones just failed to connect with his knock down. Rowlands then came close to his fifth of the campaign as he cracked a bouncing ball just over the top from the edge of the penalty area. 

Referee Thorpe’s performance was going downhill at a rate of knots and two terrible decisions in a minute led to Lee Cook going into the book. Firstly a clearance from Edworthy smashed Oakley full in the face and flew into The Paddock. Thorpe incredibly gave Derby the throw. From that throw Cook robbed Oakley with a perfect sliding challenge only to get pulled up. He had lost his rag now and lashed the ball into The Loft. Thorpe promptly booked him for it; perhaps he would like to pay his fine as it was his incompetence that was the catalyst. 

Paul Jones made his third great save of the night when Bisgaard’s twenty five yards freekick looked destined for the bottom corner until the R’s keeper scrambled low to his left to turn it away. Jones then came to Rehman’s rescue again as he surrendered possession to Howard but the lumbering front man wasn’t up to the task. 

Derby were turning the screw now and they rattled the frame of the goal twice in a minute. First substitute Stead fired in a shot from a tight angle that cannoned back off of Jones’ right hand post before Camara crossed for Howard to bounce a header off of the top of the bar. 

Adam Bolder contrived to miss a sitter after Stead had breezed past the static Lomas and sent a great ball through the six yard box. Jimmy Smith then blasted the ball over the bar as Rangers searched in vain for the equalising goal. Bircham was next to try his luck as the game entered the final ten minutes but Lee Grant was equal to his twenty five yarder. 

Stead forced Jones into another great save as Stewart allowed him to turn in the eighteen yard box and send a low shot toward the corner. Jones was down low to his right this time to turn it away. Rangers kept coming though and Rowlands should have equalised as Leacock laid pole axed on the deck. Cook’s left wing cross was deflected wide at the near post. From the resulting corner Blackstock headed wide when well placed. 

The final whistle brought a warm round of applause for the efforts of the bulk of the players. They had been beaten by the better side but they had kept plugging away to the last and that is a hell of a lot better than they way we were a few weeks ago. The main issue we seem to have though is a centre back pairing that don’t communicate with each other or the keeper and fail to read the most basic of situations. 

Gregory has to work with what he has aside from the odd loan here and there. I expect Mancienne will play from the start on Saturday as he simply has to split Rehman and Stewart up as they will cost us far more games than they will win us. 

Man of the Match – Paul Jones. After his shocker for Wales this display will have done him the power of good. He shouldn’t have to make as many saves as he does though!

simon@qprnet.com