Well. How to describe as dour a match as I've seen for a long time.

Working in Harrogate has it advantages this season, with relatively easy trips to Scunthorpe, Hull, Barnsley, the two Sheffield teams, Stoke, among others. Leaving work last night I did spare a thought as to whether it was worth attending yet another one, with the freezing wind cutting through me like a knife, I was not anticipating a spectacle of fine football, and indeed I wasn't pleasantly surprised.

Getting the teams on my phone 30 minutes before kick off usually allows me to contemplate what decisions LDC makes and why he's made them well before kick off time, and the dropping of Vine in favour of Blackstock came as no surprise however the dropping of Ephraim was given he was one of the few that came away from Saturday with any credit at all.

The team lined up with Camp behind a back four of Mancienne Hall Connelly and Delaney. Leigertwood remained in central midfield alongside Rowlands with Buzz replacing Ephraim on the right and Balanta keeping his place on the left. Blackstock and Agyemang started up front.

If only the last 85 minutes had contained as much entertaining play as the first 5 minutes. Unfortunately, if you'd have left after 5 minutes you'd have been the better for it.

The game started much like a basketball match with first us creating a chance from one of two corner in the first few minutes before Barnsley were straight down at our end forcing Camp to make a decent save from Howard after Delaney had played him onside with consistently dreadful positioning and the rest of our defence playing the offside trap about 5 yards further up the pitch.

Shortly after this the first of many miscommunications between an indecisive Camp and his back four almost cost us a goal, with Camp hesitantly coming to the edge of the box to pick up a relatively innocuous loose ball only to make a complete hash of things and present the chasing Ferenczi with an open goal. Fortunately for us, he decided to take a touch rather than slot the ball home with a first time shot allowing time for Fitz Hall to get back and make a last ditch sliding block out for a corner.

But as in true basketball style, no sooner had we dealt with this corner than it was QPR on the attack with two decent efforts from just outside the Barnsley penalty area.

So about 5 minutes gone, and this reporter was sat there thinking that we've got an exciting game on our hands. Oh dear. It couldn't have been further from the truth as the remaining 85 minutes proved to be as turgid as the first 5 were entertaining.

For the next 20 or so minutes of the first half, Barnsley at least tried to keep the ball down and pass it, however our defensive unit was beginning to look reasonably secure despite Delaney's wanderings, with Connelly in particular looking a class act in the centre and Fitz Hall taking the simple option and clearing everything that came near him. Our play flattered to deceive as it constantly broke down whenever the ball came to Leigertwood who failed to pass to a hooped shirt all night despite having about 100 opportunities to do so.

However, once again, my thinking proved to be almost QPR's undoing, as for some strange reason known only to himself, Delaney, maybe in anticipation of a better second half performance found himself closer to the Barnsley left corner flag than our own and Campbell-Ryce picked up the ball with nobody within 30 yards of him 10 yards inside our half and right where you'd expect Delaney to be if he wasn't inspecting the turf at the diagonally opposite corner.  

Anyway Campbell-Ryce does was Campbell-Ryce does, and ran with the ball towards our touch line allowing the Barnsley players time to get into the box and then sent in a perfect cross to the far post where Ferenczi came in to head the ball unmarked .. on to the post. Huge sighs of relief and jokes about Delaney wandering around in his wonderland, and thankful to go back to the turgid affair the match had become still at 0-0.

Rangers started the second half much better and as on Saturday nearly anything of any worth started with Rowlands. First a decent run and shot from outside the box which Steele could only parry. Blackstock was following up, however Steele was quickly up and closed down the angles really well as he went down meaning Blackstock had to chip the ball over the keeper at full pace. The result went over the bar.

A few minutes later Balanta, showing a level of ability belying his tender years, rounded Steele, and looked certain to score from a tight angle only for a defender to get back to clear the ball off the line.

But this was the Rowlands show again as after a couple of tentative efforts from long range, he made another super run from the centre down the right and sent a searing cross across the Barnsley box two yards from the goals line with three Rangers players steaming in, and yet none of them managed to connect.

At this point Leigertwood, pleasantly omitted from most of our attacking play in the second half so far decided to get in on the act. The ball found itself increasingly at his feet, before being aimlessly kicked to anywhere on the pitch a QPR player wasn't. And for the next 20 minutes we were subjected to the worst football I've seen for many years, until first the Barnsley, and then our, substitutions improved the fare on offer enough to passably call it football.

Barnsley brought on Leon, and it was a mystery as to why he hadn't started as he then went on to show the rest of the players on the pitch actually how to play football, making runs and passing to players of his own team..... it proved a revelation, and Barnsley were soon looking in the ascendancy. On about 70 we conceded a free kick on the edge of our box. before Leon took it, I commented to NorthernR next to me how the wall looked totally ineffectual, and so it proved as Leon curled the bal over it and with the ball heading towards his right Camp dove full stretch to tip the ball over his bar to once again save our blushes.

Other than another effort from Leon a few minutes later, the match, improved slightly for passing with Vine and Ephraim on for Blackstock and Balanta respectively, as long as the ball was kept away from Leigertwood. This was not enough however to actually make it enjoyable to watch.

Man of the Match - Martin Rowlands: At the centre of anything good that came from QPR. Constantly harrying and tackling in midfield and proving our most effective passer of the ball as well.

Turkey of the match: Mikele Leigertwood. I wouldn't normally award this, but to be honest Leigertwood's performance yesterday has to be the worst I've seen from him, and from a Rangers player in a long time. I would expect a one legged Giraffe to pass better than he managed to all game, it was an embarrassment. Even allowing for the windy conditions will not do, as not one single pass actually made it to a blue and white hooped shirt all game. It was like a game of 12 against 10 with the Referee an incompetent but innocent bystander and Leigertwood playing secretly for Barnsley.