| F.A. Cup Third Round | |
| Saturday January 6th | |
| Queens Park Rangers 2 |
Luton Town 2 |
| D.Blackstock | R.Vine |
| S.Baidoo | W.Feeney |
The
Third Round of the FA Cup was a blank
Saturday for a few years if you are
a QPR until we gained promotion and
the last two years have seen us suffer
3-0 hammerings so expectations were
not exactly high for the "glamorous"
home tie against Luton Town.
Rangers received a boost before the
game as Ray Jones finally signed a new
contract with a three and a half year
deal agreed the day before the game.
John Gregory made just one change the
side that beat Colchester as Jimmy Smith
returned to start his new loan spell
at the club in place of Kevin Gallen.
The game was subject to two pitch inspections
before the game and as the heavens opened
and almost flooded the pitch in the
opening minutes it didn't look like
the game would get finished. Credit
to both sides though who played on in
spite of the conditions and Lee Cook
enjoyed himself tearing his full back
apart all afternoon with a scintillating
performance.
Rangers dominated much of the first
half with Jimmy Smith twice going close
from long range and he was denied a
blatant penalty when he was hacked down
in the box.
Rangers opened the scoring with Cook
again supplying the goal with a brilliant
corner to the near post and Blackstock
headed in for his first goal since November.
It looked like a case of how many we
would get at this stage but the last
minute of the half Luton equalised.
It was a good goal as Luton passed it
well and cut us apart with Rowan Vine
finishing the move off to make it 1-1.
Luton began the second half as they
finished the first with a goal to take
the lead. A ball into the box saw some
confusion as Royce and Mancienne leaving
it to each other and Feeney got his
body on the ball and steered it.
Rangers were stunned and Luton went
on to dominate for long period with
Richard Langley shoving the boos down
fans throats as he ran the midfield
until Marc Bircham came on for Lomas
later in the half.
Lee Cook began to get back into the
game and created more chances for Rangers
to get back into it. A good run down
the left found Blackstock but he scooped
his shot over the bar. Blackstock had
another chance soon after heading a
Cook corner towards goal but Morgan
headed it off the line.
Shabazz Baidoo and Paul Furlong came
on for one last push and within minutes
we grabbed an equaliser. A Cook corner
was met by Stewart and a scramble ensued
with Baidoo ending up putting the ball
in with more than a hint of handball.
Luton's players went mad rightly screaming
handball but the ref had seen nothing
and gave the goal. Perhaps they should
had a woman ref eh Mr Newell?
Rangers pushed for a winner but Furlong,
Smith and Baidoo all missed chances
as the end ended in a 2-2 draw.
Still Rangers remain in the cup for
now and will face Blackburn Rovers at
home if we win the replay in a game
that will be a lunchtime kick off due
to Live BBC coverage.
Man of the Match: Lee Cook