Coca Cola Championship
Tuesday October 20th
Queens Park Rangers 4	Reading 1
A.Buzsaky 31mins	B.Howard 86mins
J.Simpson 39mins
R.Vine 71mins	I.Ingimarsson Sent off 45mins
P.Agyemang 83mins
B. Watson Sent off 30mins

		Team Line Up
		24. R.Cerny 8/10
2. P.Ramage 8/10		3. D. Stewart 8/10 (c)	13. K.Gorkss 8/10		29. G.Borrowdale 8/10
10. A.Buzsaky 9/10		18. A.Faurlin 9/10	15. B.Watson 6/10		39. A.Taarabt 9/10
4. G.Mahon (65) 7/10					11. P.Agyemang (74) 7/10
		7. W.Routledge 9/10	23. J.Simpson 7/10
			8. R.Vine (52) 8/10
Subs Not Used: T.Heaton, F.Hall, M.Alberti, G.Ainsworth
Substitutes in yellow

It was about an hour before the game on Tuesday when an odd stat struck me. We were drinking in the Springbok watching the one Show on the TV, well I say watching the one show we were perving over that Christine woman who hosts it and wondering how on earth Adrian Chiles managed to pull her. Anyway it was then I realised that I'd never seen us beat Reading, never.

Now I've seen us beat Man Utd, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and virtually everyone else we've played at some point in the last 25 years but never seen us beat the fake hoops down the road. Usually the games between us are dire 0-0 draws, I remember us being stuffed by them in the Simod Cup back in the 80's, well that stat was about to change and in emphatic style.

On the back of the 4-0 win at the weekend and the recent upturn in fortunes I have been expecting it all to go wrong and still writing this today I'm still waiting for the inevitable kick in the bollocks that I still won't see coming. That's what QPR does to us, it's the hope that kills us. For the Reading match though it was another night of euphoria at Loftus Road or as my wife puts it "Why did they wait till I can't go anymore before they start playing like Brazil"?

Jim Magilton made one change to the starting eleven and it was an obvious one with Ben Watson replacing the impressive Gavin Mahon. Ramage kept his place at right back whilst Routledge continued up front.

The first half an hour of the game gave little indication of what was to follow. The game was very stop start due to referee Andy Hall blowing for every challenge and never letting the game flow. He seemed to love a yellow card as well booking Watson, Faurlin and Borrowdale in the first half. Reading had a clever game plan to close down our back four and stop us playing from the back. It worked to some degree as Rangers never looked too comfortable and were having to release the ball quicker than I think we wanted to. Radek Cerny continued to act more as a sweeper than a goalkeeper with his distribution absolutely outstanding.

Still chances were not really coming from either side and it was the kind if game that would have the moaners up and booing a few weeks ago. Not this time though as the fans stuck with the team and although not much was happening you had the feeling we could and would step up a gear at some stage.

It wasn't dull though as we looked good in the build up to attacks with Routledge, Buzsaky and Faurlin all in excellent form. Ben Watson saw a shot blocked on the edge of the box but then a free kick changed the game.

Rangers won it 30 yards out and Buzsaky asked for the wall to go back 10 yards. Watson obviously didn't spot this and took a quick one to Faurlin which was easily cut out by a Reading defender. Andy Hall stood tall at that point and with I expect a stirring in his pant he whipped out his yellow card and then a red. Watson was sent off for kicking a football forwards. Laughable really but this was the same referee who sent off Clarke Carlisle and Stephen Kelly is a crucial game for QPR a few years back for having the ball kicked at them. Watson's yellow may well be to the letter of the law but honestly what a stupid bloody law that is, you get booked if you take too long over a kick and booked if you take it quickly, I always thought a free kick was supposed to be a reward for foul play against an attacking team, now the attacking team is the one punished.

So as I sat back in disbelief thinking, "I bloody knew it would all go wrong" up stepped Akos Buzsaky to whip the ball over the wall into the bottom corner and silence the celebrating reading fans. Oh how I laughed and celebrated in equal measure as Rangers had the lead. We would now see a different QPR, even with ten men the confidence had risen from that goal and we were unplayable for the next hour,

Credit must go to Jim Magilton for sticking with two up front and looking to attack and get more goals, it was a bold move that certainly paid off.

Rangers got a killer second goal and it was this week's contender for goal of the season. It came from a in our own half which was played to Routledge, he ran at the Reading defence but was forced back and with a trick and a turn he played the ball back with the outside of his foot to Gorkss who was under pressure and had to go back to Cerny. It looked awkward as Long closed Cerny down but he calmly played it out to Faurlin and with an inch perfect pass he found Buzsaky near the centre circle who played a lovely pass on the turn wide to Routledge and suddenly within four passes Reading had been carved open. Routledge sped down the right and played a lovely far post cross to Simpson who made no mistake volleying home. It was a fantastic goal to watch showing all the passing and movement from the back that Rangers have excelled in during recent weeks. The ball went from Cerny via Buzsaky and Routledge to Simpson and the back of the net within 11 seconds.
That was Simpson's fifth goal in nine games and he looks a very decent signing.

Rangers were running riot now and almost got a third when Taarabt was looking like Ronaldo with his stopovers leaving the Reading full back bemused before playing a great ball to Routledge whose near post shot was well saved.

Reading almost got back into the game just before half time. Faurlin brought down Long and it looked to me that it was inside the box but the referee gave a free kick five yards outside so what do I know. Kebe took the free kick and the curling shot to the far post was palmed onto the post by Cerny.

Half time brought a big ovation from the home fans and the players thoroughly deserved it for another excellent first half performance.

There was still work to be done though and that work was made much easier at the start of the second half when after just eight seconds Jay Simpson was crudely hacked down by Ingimarsson and Andy Hall was straight over to show another red card. That was pretty much game over then as Reading looked deflated from that moment on and the tactical changes made by Brendan Rogers at half time were quickly scrapped.

Rangers continued to build pressure with Taarabt firing over the bar after a fine free flowing move. Rowan Vine was introduced to the action as Simpson limped off with an ankle problem and Vine almost grabbed his first goal of the season after a great run down the left by Routledge saw him cut the ball across goal for Vine but his shot was weak and easily saved.

Vine went close again after another lovely move, Buzsaky chested the ball down to Faurlin who played a wonderful volleyed pass the to the left where Routledge again ran riot bursting into the box for a cross to Vine whose shot looked to be rolling into the net before the keeper made a last ditch grab at the ball and kept it out.

Rangers were going from defence to attack in seconds with swift counter attacking play. Faurlin won the ball on the edge of our box and burst forward with the ball, after an interchange of passes with Taarabt he was in the box at the other end and saw his goal bound shot blocked away for a corner.

From the corner Taarabt lifted the ball to Faurlin and a sweet one touch passing move ended with Vine stroking the ball past the keeper into the bottom corner but it was ruled out as Taarabt was offside.

Goal number three soon arrived though and it was joy at last for Rowan Vine. It came from a throw in on the left as Borrowdale took it quickly to Taarabt who found Vine just inside the box and from a narrow angle he cut inside and fired into the bottom corner past a helpless keeper. A fine finish from Vine which was probably his most difficult chance of the match.

Magilton made further changes bringing on Mahon and Agyemang for Buzsaky and Taarabt and those two combined to make it four nil. Faurlin was again involved playing the ball clear from the edge of the box to Agyemang on half way and he laid it off to Mahon and stretched his legs to speed past the Reading defence. Mahon kept the ball and waited till he was onside then played a ball through to Agyemang and the out of form striker looked like he would fall over as he did two stopovers and used his pace to run clear before calmly finishing past the keeper. It was a good finish and far more like the Agyemang we saw when he first signed than the one we saw earlier this season.

That was that really, Rangers could have had more to be honest but sat back a little and it took an outstanding save from Cerny to deny Brian Howard a consolation goal. They did get that one goal at the end though after a storming run by Ramage saw him bust a gut to keep the ball in play after Agyemang had gone close again but as he did Reading broke and a ball into the box found Howard who scored from close range.

The final whistle went soon after and to a man every QPR fan stood and applauded the team off for another scintillating display of attacking football.

Rangers were simply brilliant and it is hard to pick any one player out for man of the match. I opted for Routledge who tore Reading apart on the right, left and in the middle. Mentions must go through to Cerny who started everything from the back, Borrowdale was again good on the ball whist Faurlin had an outstanding game often on his own in central midfield. Buzsaky and Taarabt were a joy to watch whilst Jay Simpson got another goal.

They say it was just like watching Brazil, personally I think this was better, a wonderful nights work from QPR that makes all those 0-0 draws last season a long forgotten memory.