After all the excitement and celebrations that we’ve enjoyed since May 8th it was back to reality yesterday as QPR faced our first game in the newly named Coca Cola Championship and a new season was under way.

Just like last year the opening day of the season was played in blistering heat and the lack of bottled water in the Loft was a disgrace with fans struggling in the heat and to have no water on sale was a ludicrous decision.

Still 14,000 dehydrated QPR fans were in the mood for a party and the atmosphere in the Loft was superb as the teams came out. Chants of Rangers are back was great to hear and the place was buzzing.

Ian Holloway’s first team selection of the season provided no surprises. Chris Day started in goal with a back four of Bignot, Gnohere, Rose and Padula, Rowlands, Ainsworth, Johnson and Bean started in midfield with club captain Kevin Gallen up front with Paul Furlong.

Rotherham started well and within seconds they had us on the back foot. A free kick on the left after 30 seconds saw a brilliant ball delivered and the movement of the Rotherham forwards caused chaos in the box as Swailes headed towards the top corner and Chris Day had to produce an excellent save to keep the scores level.

Rotherham looked a different class from set pieces to anything we played last season and from the resulting corner we struggled to get the ball clear again. The visitors looked bright and passed the ball well but Rangers soon settled and forged a few attacks of our own. Ainsworth was looking very sharp on the right and he crossed for Furlong but the danger was cleared.

We soon took the lead in an exciting opening to the game. Johnson did well on the left after a quick break and he took a touch, looked up and produced a superb cross to the far post and Gareth Ainsworth arrived springing in from the right and aimed a powerful header into the top corner to give us the lead. The fans went mad with scenes of joy around the ground and Ainsworth played his air guitar to celebrate scoring our first goal of the season.

Rotherham were no mugs though and continued to cause problems. The hopeless P Armstrong was doing his best to ruin the match by stopping the game at every opportunity and being the latest ref to penalise Paul Furlong even when he is being fouled. Free kicks on the left were causing problems with Darren Garner whipping in some excellent crosses.

The ref wasn’t alone with his crazy decisions as his linesmen had a mad five minutes. A good tackle by Rose was seen as a foul giving Rotherham a free kick in a dangerous position. The tackle was made right on the touchline by the linesmen allowed the free kick to be taken five yards in field. The delivery was again excellent but questions have to be asked about our marking as a simple header across goal found Paul Shaw unmarked to head past Chris Day and level up the scores.

That goal really took the wind out of the QPR fans and the fantastic atmosphere that we had enjoyed for the first fifteen minutes turned into a nervous one and which seemed to transmit itself to the players.The linesmen was doing his best to upset the QPR fans though and gave one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen soon after the goal.

Padula played a long ball down the line for Furlong and the lino gave a throw in when the ball never even went close to going out. It’s seems that the match officials don’t get much better the higher up the leagues you go.

Rangers were working hard in the sweltering conditions and were playing some decent football at times. Our key players were having off days though with Gallen and Rowlands looking well below their best.

Rowlands did have a chance to get us back in front but his header went wide. Paul Furlong then had a couple of chances, as he got more involved in the game. Ainsworth put him through and he had plenty of time and space to create a chance but he tried to volley his shot first time and it sliced off for a goal kick. His best chance of the game came after half an hour when tired to lob the keeper and Pollitt did very well to tip Furlongs effort over the bar.

Johnson then had a long ranged effort well saved before the half time whistle gave the fans and players a welcome break from the heat. The second half started well for Rangers as we attacked the Loft end. Ainsworth was looking very bright running his socks off and he got down the right to put in a lovely low cross but no QPR player could get on the end of it and it drifted agonisingly wide.

Ainsworth was at the heart of everything for Rangers and another run into the box should have produced a second goal for us. A ran into the box and was hacked to the floor for a blatant penalty but the referee played on much to the astonishment of everyone in the stadium.

We kept pushing forward in a good spell for us. Gallen and Rowlands were still very quiet but Furlong went close with a header from another Ainsworth cross. With the heat now unbearable it seemed like a time for some changes but Holloway stuck with the team and both sides began to look tired. We both had chances t win the game though as mistakes began to be made on both sides.

Marcus Bignot did well to hook away a dangerous cross with the two central defenders going AWOL. Proctor tried his luck from the halfway line as he saw Day off his line and he almost embarrassed the Rangers keeper but the ball went just over the bar.

A series of corners had the QPR fans worried but Day was punching everything clear and with the midfield working so hard to win the ball back we remained slightly the better side. Rangers won some free kicks of our own and one of them saw a Padula look ready to shoot but instead Rowlands ran with the ball towards goal before trying to take on one player too many and Rotherham broke away.

Another free kick in the middle saw Bignot standing in acres of space on the right as he screamed for the ball but instead we tried to find Furlong with a chipped ball and the Rotherham defence easily dealt with the danger.

Holloway finally made some changes with eight minutes left. The disappointing Rowlands made way for Kevin McLeod whilst Thorpe and debutant George Santos replaced Bignot and Bean. This meant a reshuffle with Gallen going into midfield and Rose moving to right back and the change almost worked to give us three points.

McLeod quickly got involved and did well on the left with a neat pass to Padula. Gino whipped in a superb cross for Tony Thorpe to meet with a perfect header but Pollitt produced a fantastic save to keep the ball out. I don’t think many keepers would have saved that and the agility he showed to get across and get a hand to the ball was superb.

Santos was having an eventful debut as he did what fans have been screaming for by playing the ball pout of defence with skill and vision. It took two passes from the back before fans started moaning at him and screaming get it forward which is pretty ironic as when Shittu gets back and hoofs it forward he’ll be moaned at for not playing his way out of trouble.

A last minute free kick gave us one ore chance to win the game but it almost turned to disaster Rangers piled forward but Ainsworth’s header was cleared only as far as Santos. The big defender tired to pass his way out of trouble and gave the ball away to give Rotherham break with three attackers against one defender. Padula came from nowhere to get across and save the day with a great interception and the referee blew his whistle to send both sets of supporters home reasonably happy.

It was a tough game for Rangers and we will have learnt plenty about ourselves and the high standard of this league. Dreams of the playoffs and another successful season are not on the agenda this time and as pessimistic as this sounds survival is the main priority and if we can stay up this season then I think we’ll be in for a brighter future.

The players need to learn from this though and I am sure they will find their feet at this level soon and begin to show what they are capable of. Onto Watford now on Monday night, which will be, another tough game but one we are quite capable of getting something out of.

Man of the Match: Gareth Ainsworth

1. Chris Day: Didn't have much to do but dealt with a few crosses well. Couldn't do much about the goal. 7/10

2. Marcus Bignot: A very good performance from the right back. He linked well with Ainsworth and got some good crosses in whilst he defending was first class. 8/10

3. Gino Padula: Worked very hard at left back and had an excellent game. His tackling was strong and as ever his crossing caused problems for the visitors defence. 8/10

7. Matthew Rose: He looked a little shaky at set pieces but apart from that he had a decent game. 7/10

22. Arthur Gnohere: Struggled at times but did show a willingness to play the ball out from the back which was very good to see. 7/10

11. Gareth Ainsworth: Worked so hard on the right and was the best player on the pitch. His crossing and heading was superb and he fully deserved his goal. 9/10

6. Richard Johnson: A great cross for the goal and he always wanted the ball in the middle of the park. He faded in the second half though in that blistering heat. 7/10

16. Marcus Bean: Did what Bean does by working hard and closing people down but looked a little out of his depth at times and his passing was poor. 6/10

14. Martin Rowlands: A very quiet game as he never really got going and Rotherham easily dealt with everything he had to offer. 6/10

29. Paul Furlong: Started the game slowly but got better as the game wore on and almost grabbed a goal before half time. 7/10

10. Kevin Gallen: Not his best game for the club. He tried to get the play going with his passing but he was well below his best and never caused them anreal problems. 6/10

18. Kevin McLeod: Did well to create a chance for Thorpe and I thought he should have been on earlier. 7/10

23. George Santos: An interesting debut. He looks very comfortable on the ball but he almost gifted them a goal in the last minutes. 7/10

9. Tony Thorpe: Looked very sharp when he came on and almost scored with a brilliant header. I think it would be worth starting him in the next game. 7/10