Richard Johnson was back in the team with Bean missing out as Holloway went with experience and Martin Rowlands passed a fitness test and started the game on the left wing.

Rangers kicked off attacking to the far end of the ground and all the nerves and excitement building up to the game were now focused on cheering the boys onto victory.

Plymouth started the brighter of the two sides as they pushed forward to try and win some set pieces where they have been lethal all season. An early sliding tackle by Gino Padula won them a first corner and a superb delivery was crying out to be converted but Rangers breathed a sigh of relief as no one attacked the ball.

Micky Evans was putting himself about and winning the earl y battle with Clarke Carlisle but it soon became easier for Clarke as he got to grips with his man and won most of the headers around the box.

Rangers offered very little as an attacking force as Plymouth went in search of that vital first goal. The best early chance came to Evans after good work down the left saw his rise unmarked in the box and his header was flying into the top corner but Camp produced a magnificent save to tip it away for a corner.

We were looking very shaky at this stage and Marino Keith’s overhead kick went just wide as the QPR fans began to sweat a little more in the boiling hot sunshine. Carly began to get sun stroke as the idea to wear jeans for this game backfired on us both and Rangers weren’t making it any more comfortable for us as Frilo shot just over from another corner.

Rangers finally got into the game at around the 20 minute mark as we weathered the early storm. We still created very little with a few set pieces getting us all excited but a Carlisle header from a Padula corner was all we had to show for our efforts.

We were making a game of it though as the game was a real battle in midfield and Bircham was working his nuts off chasing all over the pitch to try and get us possession when we lost the ball. Our creative players were very quiet though with Rowlands hardly getting a touch in the first half an hour.

Plymouth had another effort look destined for goal but miss by a whisker. Lee Hodges beautiful volley had Camp beaten but it was just the wrong side of the post and we were able to breathe again.

Our best chances came after Gallen did well outside the box. A pass back to Bircham saw the energetic midfielder flick the ball up and hit a stunning volley but it went straight at the keeper. A yard either side of the keeper and it would have gone in.

Gallen got behind the back four once as we got off our seats but his low cross was cleared for a corner when it seemed a better idea to go for goal.

As half time arrived though both the players and fans were grateful of the break. The heat was getting unbearable and it was nice to get a cold pint at half time despite having to spend most of the break queuing for it.

The return of the two teams saw both fans rise again and the atmosphere was superb as everyone in the stadium made a big effort to get behind their team. Rangers started the second half much brighter and seemed intent on getting the first goal.

Ainsworth and Rowlands were now getting more involved and a neat move down the left won us an early corner. Bircham urged the fans to get behind them and a half cleared corner fell to Rowlands who had a bit of time to shoot but it went wide when he really should have hit the target.

It was end to end stuff now with both sides going for a win. Keith was put through and one on one against Camp the QPR keeper came out and saved well. Hodges was next to go close with poor marking by Rangers leaving him with a free header and Camp saved the day again. It was getting incredibly tense now and any mistake could win the game for someone. We almost got a big slice of luck as Ainsworth got on the end of an Edghill pass and he raced past his full back to get into the box. A low cross for Furlong was cut out by Connolly and beat his own keeper only to come off the post and go wide. We were in the air celebrating for a second before it just went wide.

We were on top now and Bircham was hacked down on the edge of the box before getting a boot to the head. He went off and came on with a big white bandage round his head and his blue and white hair sticking out at the top. From the free kick Rangers tried the Barnsley trick of having Ainsworth and Rose stand in front of the keeper and then run out. Rowlands fired the free kick in and it took a big deflection and seemed to take an age as it rolled towards goal and then inches wide.

The excitement was building as we sensed a goal and Gallen fired wide with his only chance of the game. Bircham had played on with the head injury but he was taken off with twenty minutes left to get some stitches and Steve Palmer came on to a few groans in the QPR end. The groans were more aimed at the timing of the substitution as we defended a corner but Rangers cleared the danger.

The departure of Bircham saw us lose a bit of bite in midfield and we soon began to be pushed back deeper and deeper and look less likely to score. Camp kept us in it again with a great save from Frillo as the Frenchman got away from the Rangers defence.

With time running out a draw seemed the likely outcome before disaster struck and the noise levels were turned up a few notches. Norris got the ball on the right and before Gino could get near him he flicked it up and smashed in a truly brilliant cross for Evans to attack and this time Camp was beaten and the home crowd went crazy.