Having opened the Loftus Road coffers this week Waddock had some nice selection posers before the game. Paul Jones was in goal behind a new look back four of Rose, Stewart, new boy Rehman and Milanese. The ultra attacking midfield four of Ainsworth, Rowlands, Ward and Cook was deployed behind a youthful strike pairing of Ray Jones and new striker Blackstock.

Blackstock showed his intentions from the off as he picked up the ball and set off at the Southend back four at pace. He looked to have beaten two men before getting clipped and ending up in a heap on the deck. Both sets of players were starting to prepare for the freekick when referee Williamson incredibly booked Blackstock for diving! There were barely twenty seconds on the clock and that has to be some sort of R’s record on debut.

Lee Cook had the first genuine chance of the game when he stepped up to take a freekick just outside the D. His left footed effort cleared the wall but drifted just wide of Darryl Flahavan’s left hand post. Cookie’s reaction suggestion it was pretty close, Flahavan’s didn’t!

Rangers were really getting amongst the Southend midfield and seemingly starting to pass their way through at will. Ward was bursting forward at every opportunity and Giant Ray and Dexter were showing a real understanding despite having trained together only once. Good passing between the three saw Blackstock through and his sharp left footer was acrobatically tipped over the top by Flahavan.

Flahavan almost undid his good work soon after as he came steaming out of his box to clear and only managed to slice his attempt into the chest of Jones. The young striker tried to steer the ball goalward from thirty yards but he failed to hit the target. Paul Jones as the other end may as well have set up a garden chair on the goal line so under worked was he. Saying that, he would not doubt have been full of admiration for the work his opposite number was getting through.

Two more saves were forced from Flahavan as Cook crashed in a low shot that he held well before Ainsworth launched a piledriver from the edge of the box that Flahavan somehow managed to turn over the bar. He was at it again a minute later when Ward used the runs of Blackstock and Jones to work an opening for himself but his left footed curler was straight into the midriff of Flahavan.

Just after the half hour mark Rangers scored the goal their dominance deserved thanks to Martin Rowlands. Rowly had been overshadowed by his young Aussie colleague to this point but when a freekick was conceded twenty five yards out he stepped up with purpose. Cook rolled the ball a yard into his path and he sent a vicious right footed strike screaming into the top corner. Southend could have had four keepers in and they wouldn’t have had a prayer of keeping it out.

You may have noticed a lack of Freddy Eastwood action thus far, that is largely down to the fact that Stewart and Rehman were in imperious form and the much vaunted Shrimpers striker hadn’t had a sight of goal worthy of the name. As with Jones and Blackstock, Rehman and Stewart already appeared to have struck a good understanding that will only get better the more they play together.

Blackstock was in again shortly after Rowly’s goal when Cook sent in a left wing cross that Flahavan gathered bravely at the striker’s feet. There wasn’t long to wait for the second goal though and it was the triumvirate of Blackstock, Jones and Ward in the thick of it once again.

A quick break saw Blackstock receive the ball on the right wing, he cut back onto his favoured left foot and sent a deep cross to the far post where seventeen year old Jones was lurking with intent. He and Flahavan went up for the high ball and the young striker got there just ahead of him to send the ball goalward. It looked as though it might have been trickling in but Ward wasn’t taking any chances and he stole in to tap the ball in from a yard. Flahavan meanwhile had been left in a bloody heap by Jones although the challenge was a perfectly fair one. That was Flahavan’s lot for the day though and as he went off to get stitched up Steve Collis took his place. He still had time to register his first save when Ray Jones got free but fired straight at the Southend sub.

Rangers had managed to get to half time having peppered the Southend goal and not allowed their opponents a shot in anger. Rose and Milanese had cut off the supply from wide areas with Mauro in particular looking much sharper than he had in previous games and seemingly back to his magnificent form of last season.

The second half started with Blackstock shooting straight at Collis before the Tarzanesque left back spilling blood as he was barged to the floor off of the ball. The Southend fans didn’t seem impressed so he wiped some blood onto his hand and held it up to them to show he wasn’t milking the situation. He went off to get treated and suddenly the organisation went astray for a while.

First Cook slotted in at left back, then Rose moved to left back and Ainsworth went to right back, then Rowlands went to right back and Ainsworth moved back into midfield! Southend sensed the unease and went for the jugular. Crosses were raining in and Rehman and Stewart were working overtime. They managed to restrict Southend to one genuine chance though and Jones denied Guttridge with a terrific stop.

Milanese came back on complete with his Basil Fawlty headband shortly before Rangers made an enforced change. Rowlands had been stretching his groin whilst Milanese was off and Waddo decided not to take any chances with him. Lomas came on and in truth this wouldn’t have been a bad move anyway as we instantly looked a bit more solid with the Ulsterman prowling in midfield.

Ray Jones managed to hit the angle of post and bar with a sliced cross before Ward sent in a prefect cross for Ainsworth but he managed an air shot with the goal at his mercy. Ward fired wide before Eastwood finally managed to exert some influence on the game.

He looked as though he had got in behind Stew Peas but as Jones came out to intervene the big Jamaican showed incredible powers of recovery to snake out a leg and prevent the opportunity coming to anything. Eastwood looked as though he was fed up with his team mates by now and was going it alone whenever he could.

He fired tamely over the bar before he missed the target with a header from no more than three yards. He then sent in a teasing cross that nobody attacked before shooting wide when well places. I don’t think Paul Jones had expected not to have to save a solitary Eastwood effort in the entire ninety minutes.

Cook missed a great chance near the end when he curled an effort just wide of Collis’ right hand post. Blackstock then looked as though he might open his account until Ainsworth decided to tackle him as he turned to shoot! Then at the death Jones produced a great save after an age of inactivity when Jamal Campbell-Ryce, the scourge of Rangers in a League Cup tie at Orient a few years ago, cracked in a low right footer that Jones got down to a palmed away.

The end of the game brought relief as much as anything else as this had been a bloody long time coming. The first half display was fantastic though and the debuts of Rehman and Blackstock were terrific. Rowly’s goal was stunning and Nicky Ward is really starting to find his feet now and Ray Jones could emerge as one of the finds of the season. Paul Jones just keeps on pulling off save after save and you will forgive him a couple of ropey old kicks if he carries on like that. Milanese looked fit and sharp and was solid in defence and a threat going forward.

A tough trip to Preston is next on the agenda and they will have been buoyed by their good win at Wolves on Friday night. Waddo will have to think carefully about his line up, he might not want to be so attacking away from home but I will be perfectly happy if the same eleven is on duty again.

Man of the Match – Mauro Milanese. I am a great believer in that a good full back can set the tempo for the team. He had looked a bit short in the first two games but he was magnificent today.

simon@qprnet.com