Rangers wrapped up a comfortable 1-0 win over a poor Charlton Athletic side in their penultimate home game of the season. A solitary Dexter Blackstock strike was more than enough to do for The Addicks who looked totally devoid of ideas and fight for a team that was still clinging onto an outside sniff of a play off place. 

De Canio changed the side slightly from the one that conceded a last minute leveller at Hull City last weekend. Camp was in goal behind a back four of Connolly, Hall, Stewart and Delaney. Ainsworth, Mahon, Rowlands and Ephraim were in midfield with Blackstock and Balanta forming a new look strike partnership. Buzsaky was fit enough for a place on the bench. 

Before the game had even started Lee Cook had received a thunderous ovation from the R’s fans as his name was read out. If he had any doubts about the esteem in which the Rangers fans still hold him he won’t have now. As the game went on though more doubts surfaced about his suspect fitness and whether he would be worth a gamble on in the summer. 

Rangers were quicker out of the blocks than their visitors from south east London and Hogan Ephraim cut in from his left wing and fired a low shot at goal that the cumbersome Nicky Weaver held. Weaver was a constant source of amusement throughout the afternoon, he looked as though he could barely move let alone run and every time the ball arrived at his feet he looked as though he was going to trip over it.

At the other end Algerian defender Bougherra nodded over before some lovely interplay saw Balanta get a sight of goal. Rowlands and Mahon linked in midfield with the latter slipping the young Colombian/Englishman in. He took a typically assured touch to steady himself but then his shot was wild and he lashed it well past Weaver’s near post when he should have been looking to go across him. He has a pretty good game all round before he tired late on and he certainly doesn’t look out of place at this level even at seventeen years of age. 

With the game entering the fifteenth minute Rangers took the lead. Stewart launched a hopeful ball forward and it looked as though Charlton defender Paddy McCarthy had the situation under control. He then showed a turn of pace that had Chris Barker chuckling and Blackstock muscled his way past, McCarthy managed to get back at him only for Blackstock to turn away and slot a good low left footed strike past Weaver. That was Blackstock’s fourth goal in his last five outings and that combined with a much improved work rate of late seems to be signalling a return to the form of last season for the R’s number nine. 

Up to this point Lee Cook had done next to nothing. He was getting little service on the left flank and when he did get it he found the imperious Connolly in his path. Cook decided to wander in field to try and find the ball and when he did he was met by a crunching, but fair, challenge from Rowlands that ended his afternoon. It looked like a dead leg; he tried to carry on for five minutes but to no avail. He was replaced by Luke Varney and received yet another deafening ovation as he trudged off and straight down the tunnel. 

The hapless, or should that be hopeless, McCarthy had an effort at own goal of the season as he tried to cut out a cross and only succeeded in shinning the ball over Weaver and luckily for him, over the bar. Fitz Hall then set off on a slaloming run from centre back only to find himself closed out as he tried to find Ephraim at the end of it. As he went back he got involved in a challenge and his glass groin went ping yet again. It seems unlikely that we will see him again this season and if he id going to continue to pick up the same injury every two a and a half games then we need to get someone more reliable in. Mancienne came on at right back and Connolly moved into the middle to partner Stewart. 

Damien Delaney was the first man into the useless Mr Kettle’s book when China skipper Zheng Zhi took a poor touch and the Irishman thought he could get to the ball. It turns out he couldn’t as he absolutely hammered the Charlton man. It was a deserved booking and was one of about five decisions that Kettle managed not to balls up on the day. 

Leroy Lita, wearing some of the gaudiest boots Loftus Road has ever seen, had a complete air shot when Varney sent a low ball in from the left. Lita was cutting a frustrated figure as Hall, Stewart and Connolly all seemed to be getting the better of him and strike partner Andy Gray all too easily. Things wouldn’t change when Chris Iwelumo came on later in the piece. 

Gareth Ainsworth had a go at doubling the Rangers advantage as half time approached but somehow managed to fire his shot over The Loft from five yards inside the area. That he managed to get such elevation was a miracle in itself as I didn’t think it was possible for someone to lean back quite that far! 

Balanta had the first chance of the second half when he got his head to an Ainsworth cross but could only direct it into the arms of Weaver. Blackstock was next to go close as he and Delaney attacked a deep corner from Buzsaky, who had entered the fray for Ainsworth shortly after the break. Blackstock was a mile in the air as he met the ball and Weaver seemed well beaten as the ball drifted wide of his far post. 

Martin Rowlands was next in the queue to have a pop at the besieged Charlton goal. A free kick was conceded thirty yards from goal and Rowlands went for power over finesse and battered a shot goalward that seemed to take a nick off the top of the bar as Weaver desperately flung his hands up. 

The Charlton fans were turning now and their cries of “Pardew, Pardew sawt i’ aaaaaht”, didn’t go unheeded. He sent the giant Iwelumo on in place of the ineffective Gray. As I mentioned earlier, the Charlton strikers had been superbly shackled by the Rangers centre backs but with almost his first touch the Scotsman managed to escape their attentions for a fraction of a second but could only blaze high and wide when well placed. 

Lee Camp hadn’t had a save to make at this point as the visiting side looked bang out of ideas. The same couldn’t be said for Weaver at the other end though and he had to intervene again as Blackstock found the target. Ephraim then got his head to a knockdown from the workmanlike Mahon but failed to find the target.  

Connolly and Stewart were in magnificent form now. They were both equally adept against the hulking Iwelumo and the smaller, muscular Lita as neither got much change out of them. Connolly in particular was playing like a seasoned pro rather than a twenty year old with a shade over forty games under his belt. Rangers have unearthed a real gem with this one and it is surely a case of Connolly + one for the starting centre back berths next term. 

Buzsaky should have scored for the eleventh time this season after Blackstock robbed Charlton of possession in midfield and slipped the ball wide to the Hungarian. He was in acres of space and the second goal seemed a formality but he decided to try and pick out Blackstock again instead of just riffling it past Weaver. Buzsaky had looked rusty but I would expect him to return to match sharpness for Norwich away next weekend. 

The yellow cards were starting to flow a bit more freely now from Kettle. McCarthy and Bougherra both found their names taken for persistent fouling, the pair of them had tried to kick Blackstock and Balanta out of the equation but found the game front pairing coming back for more. Varney then went into the book for having a tantrum; he was being ably assisted by Iwelumo who had questioned almost every decision since he came onto the field. There were a few rye smiles around the ground when Stewart attempted to clear from him but only succeeded in booting him straight in the forehead! Stew Peas became booking number five of the afternoon. 

The free kick that resulted provided some welcome entertainment for the travelling fans, who had surprisingly not taken up their whole allocation, as they finally mustered a shot on goal. Right back Halford stepped up to take the kick but his effort was little more than a back pass and Camp threw his cap on it. The fact that it had taken the away team eighty five minutes to register a shot on goal says all you need to know about their display. 

Four minutes injury time was announced and both sides managed another sight of goal in this period. Darren Ambrose tested Camp but the keeper was fouled as he came to claim the ball. Iwelumo naturally took umbrage with the decision and finally managed to talk his way into a booking. Rangers then managed to launch a lightening raid and late sub Leigertwood was through on goal but he dragged his shot past the near post, much as Balanta had done earlier in the game. 

The final whistle put the lid on Charlton’s season and secured Rangers’ first league double of the campaign. This was one of the most one sided one goal victories you will ever see and had Rangers won by three or four I don’t think Charlton could have any cause for complaint. It would have been easy for the R’s players to be strolling round with the cigars on but to their credit they keep playing and turning in solid performances that can only bode well for what promises to be an exciting campaign next season. 

Man of the Match – Matt Connolly. Having started the game at right back and done very well, he moved into the middle when Hall went off and was exceptional against some very quick and physical players.

simon@qprnet.com