Suspensions to three players meant Rangers made a few changes to the team that had won the last two matches keeping clean sheets in both games.

Danny Shittu was out so in came Gino Padula for his home league debut with Matthew Rose moving to the middle of defence. Dennis Oli replaced Marc Bircham on the right and Richard Pacquette started the game up front as Brett Angell dropped to the bench.

The game started slowly but Rangers looked solid and were playing the ball on the floor a lot more than we did last week. The man standing out was Gino Padula who won an early sliding tackle and instantly made himself a crowd favourite.

His distribution was a revelation as he passed the ball to team mates and if no one was in space he passed into space for someone to run on to. It was a relief to see a naturally left sided player at left back and we looked a much better team due to this.

Padula's runs forward were also earning us a few corners and it was from one of these that we took the lead. Langley's cross was \poor one and was cut out straight away, the ball though returned to him and his second effort was flicked on by Rose and Richard Pacquette was on hand to volley into the back of the net with a nice finish.

It was great to see Pacquette score as he has looked very hungry since coming back from his loan spell and the goal seemed to give him a lot of confidence.

For the rest of the half we were the better side and should have added to our one goal advantage. Steve Palmer curled a superb pass through for Gallen but he couldn't finish it off and Pacquette also had a few half chances as we got in behind their back four but we couldn't add to our own goal.

Padula was continuing to impress and a superb ball to Gallen should have seen him score but Gallen seemed to wait to long for the ball to get under his control and he could only win a corner much to his and his team mates frustration.

Lee Cook was also a threat with his pace and trickery on the left. He was linking well with Padula and Gallen and it will be a real shame if we have to lose him.

We were well on top without creating many chances but Barnsley were not really in the game until the last few minutes of the half. Matthew Rose went down at the edge of the box as his tea mates cleared the danger but I didn't see what happened to Rose from where I was sitting. The stretcher was brought on after what seemed like ages and it looked pretty serious.

It's a real blow for Rose who once again has turned his season around after a poor start. Playing back in defence has helped him and he has played a big part in our recent run of good results. Wes Daly was brought on with Steve Palmer going back into defence.

Barnsley then came close to getting level as Donavon hit a shot against the crossbar, which looked a certain goal until it hit the woodwork. The injury to Rose has left us looking disorganised for a few minutes and the half time whistle was a relief to us and gave Holloway the chance to sort things out at half time.

The second half saw no new changes but Dennis Oli soon went down after a good run down the right he grabbed his hamstring and limped through the next 15 minutes. The second half became a very scrappy affair not high on entertainment but we were doing enough to win the game.

Saying that though we did make Barnsley look better than they are and it took some excellent defending by Padula to keep us in front as he covered up for Carlisle and Palmers lack of pace at the back.

It was alarming to see Carlisle looking all over the place at times but he has always looked at his best alongside Shittu for some reason perhaps he feels more comfortable being the leader at the back rather than alongside Palmer who organises things when he is in defence.

Whatever the reason for his poor performance we were getting away with things Forbes was also having a strange game clearing danger one minute then dithering on the ball the next and getting us in trouble. Thankfully though Barnsley were not good enough to punish our mistakes and I can't remember them having a shot on target.

We still had chances with Pacquette playing very intelligently up front holding the ball up well and using his strength and pace to beat the defence. Chances were few and far between though and more injuries to the team didn't help us as we struggled to keep our shape.

Oli was replaced by Brett Angell with Gallen moving over to the right wing. Angell's introduction was met with several boos from Rangers fans but options were limited and we soon saw why Burgess wasn't the one brought on. Angell immediately won a header but that was his only real contribution to the game. Langley then went down with a knee injury and limped off.

Burgess came on to play on the right with Gallen now in central midfield alongside Wes Daly. The signs weren't good and Burgess looked well off the pace of the game as they began to attack down our right. Wes Daly was working hard and passing the ball well, one excellent ball to Gallen saw Gallen on his own up front but he had no support from the front two and the chance was gone again.

Burgess also played a wonderful pass with the outside of his foot curling over the top to Daly but a corner was all we got out of it. With time running out Gino Padula almost killed the game off. His curling shot was just inches wide and would have been the icing on top of the cake for his performance.

Pacquette also had a chance hitting a shot on the volley from 30 yards out but it flew wide. Pacquette looked knackered at this stage yet his hard work deserved another goal. Five minutes of injury time was added on as panic began to set in.

A number of corners caused worry but Culkin did well claiming most of them and the one he flapped at saw the defence clear any danger.

So we held on for a hard fought victory. We passed the ball a bit more than we have done recently but again the result was the most important thing. If we can continue to improve and pick up points then the playoffs are a realistic target for us, which is better than a month ago when up at Notts County we looked like relegation candidates.

Man of the Match: Gino Padula

13. Nick Culkin: A third clean sheet in a row and he is gradually getting better. He still stays on his line to often but that will improve when he begins to gain more confidence. 7/10

2. Terrell Forbes: Not his best performance but he stuck to his job well wioth his pace getting him out of trouble a few times. 7/10

3. Gino Padula: Sent out a clear message to Holloway and the fans that he should be the first choice left back. It's hard to see anyone getting him out of the side on this evidence. 9/10

5. Clarke Carlisle: Not his best game he won loads in the air but looked all over the pace at times and the yard or two of pace he has lost since the injury really showed in this one. Still another clean sheet so it wasn't all bad and he always gives his best for the team. 6/10

7. Matthew Rose: Looked so comfortable in the first half it was hard to believe this was the same player who looked like he'd never kicked a ball before in his life earlier in the season. A real shame he got injured but hopefully he'll be back soon. 7/10

4. Steve palmer: A much improved performance in midfield. Far less hoofing and more simple passing makes him a valuable member of the team rather than a liability. He did produce one pass that Ray Wilkins would have been proud of in the first half splitting the defence wide open on the downside he doesn't offer the kind of protection to the defence that you'd expect from a defensive midfield player. 7/10

9. Richard Langley: Not at his best, produced a few good passes and worked hard to keep the midfield organised when Palmer went back in defence but he can play better than this. His injury was a bit blow. 7/10

15. Lee Cook: Another impressive performance. Links well with Gallen and Padula and took the pressure off the defence in the second half with some good runs forward. 7/10

20. Dennis Oli: Loads of enthusiasm and pace but I don't think he's the answer on the right wing yet. Can't ask much more of him though and he hit one shot over the bar in the first half. 7/10

10. Kevin Gallen: For once not a contender for man of the match. His link up play was excellent as ever but he seemed half asleep when chances came to him and he can play a lot better than this. He showed his versatility though doing a solid job in central midfield for the last 20 minutes. 7/10

24. Richard Pacquette: Very impressive performance capped off with a goal. He used his strength and pace well in a way I haven't seen him do before. He is never afraid to have a shot, which is great to see and credit to Ian Holloway for loaning him out for a few months. A move which seems to have helped Pacquette grow up and appreciate what he has at QPR. 8/10

21. Wes Daly: worked hard in midfield but possibly a bit to lightweight for that role against a tough Barnsley team. Showed glimpses of the quality which will make him an excellent player in the next few years. 7/10

33. Brett Angell: Didn't do much and I'd be surprised if he is offered a contract, he looks no better than what we already have. 6/10

18. Oliver Burgess: Looked off the pace but another game will help get his fitness back after his long injury lay off. 6/10