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Team Line Up
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1.
Lee Camp
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16. Matthew Connolly
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28. Zesh Rehmann
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5. Damion Stewart
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2. Damien Delaney
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10. Akos Buzsacky
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14. Martin
Rowlands (c)
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4. Gavin Mahon
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25. Hogan Ephraim |
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17. Patrick Agyemang
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26. Rowan Vine
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| Subs | |||||
Mikele
Leigterwood 
on for Martin Rowlands |
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| Dexter Blackstock on for Hogan Ephraim | |||||
| Michael Mancienne on for Matthew Connolly | |||||
| Subs Not Used | |||||
| Matt Pickens | |||||
| Kieran Lee | |||||
Rangers poor midweek form
continued as Burnley became the latest side to send us home unhappy
on a Tuesday night. It all started so well for Rangers but in
the end Andy Cole proved to be the difference between the two
sides.
De Canio made just two changes to the side that won at Southampton. Damion Stewart came in for Michael Mancienne and Akos Buzsacky started in place of Kieran Lee.
Rangers started the game well looking to get an early goal and we went c lose through Hogan Ephraim when he cut inside on his right foot and shot wide of the post. Burnley looked good on the ball and kept it well in midfield but despite getting in some good positions they rarely threatened the Rangers goal with Rehmann and Stewart once again looking very solid.
We took the lead after fifteen minutes with yet another well worked goal. Buzsacky played it to Agyemang on the right wing and the in form striker took two defenders with him before back heeling it to Buzsacky who was able to run into space and pick out a perfect cross for Gavin Mahon to arrive at the far post and head into the back of the net. Great work from Agyemang and Buzsacky to create the goal and we looked like we were in for a fun evening.
Rangers were looking rampant with Agyemang running Burnley ragged. They had no answer to his power and pace as he produced his best performance in a QPR shirt so far. Buzsacky, Rowlands and Vine were pulling the strings for Rangers and it didn’t take long for us to get a second goal.
It came from a Burnley set piece and Delaney won the ball on the edge of our own box and surged forward on the counter attack. Delaney ran into the Burnley half and then picked out a lovely through ball to Agyemang and there was only one outcome as he took the ball round the keeper and placed the ball into the back of the net. Agyemang has been an absolute revelation since his arrival and he became the first player since Roy Wegerle to score in six games in a row. That’s eight goals for `dave` now and I don’t think a striker has come in and made this kind of impact at QPR since John Spencer’s arrival eleven years ago.
Rangers almost made it 3-0 soon afterwards with more sublime football. This time Buzsacky got the ball on the edge of the box and curled a shot past the keeper but just wide of the post. We then almost got the cherry on top of the cake when Zesh Rehmann broke forward like Franz Beckenbauer with the ball at his feet before looking up and curling a brilliant shot towards goal which the keeper did very well to keep out.
It was all too good to be true and as the fans started to chant Ole to every pass and let the Burnley fans know it was time to go home things started to go a bit wrong.
Martin Rowlands limped off and was replaced by Mikele Leigterwood. In hindsight De Canio probably should have brought on Blackstock and moved Vine out wide and Buzsacky into the middle to give us a nice balance in midfield but instead we had the Mahon/Leigterwood partnership which struggled to get forward and support the front two. Of course it is easy saying that now and when the change was made I doubt anyone in the stadium expected what was to come.
Burnley won a debatable free kick around 40 yards out and as Burnley got ready to take it the Q and R blocks started singing Your not famous anymore to Andy Cole along with a few other songs. The reaction? A player who had barley looked interested all half suddenly woke up and showed his class. The free kick was blasted in and Cole deflected the ball past Camp to get his side back in and celebrated by blowing a kiss to the Q block.
The half time whistle went soon after and the feeling of euphoria around the stadium had suddenly gone to one of nerves with the score now at 2-1.
The game was still there to be won though by Rangers and we started the second half reasonably well with the game being quite end to end as both sides looked for more goals. Ephraim had two chances to extend the lead the best of them testing the keeper as he turned and hit a shot from ten yards out.
Agyemang continued to cause problems playing a nice one-two with Buzsacky to break into the box but his ball across the six yard box was cleared.
The game was then delayed after a bizarre protest when two men ran on the pitch with a banner saying “Campbell causes Leukaemia”. I’m not sure if this was about Naomi Campbell or Burnley fan Alistair Campbell but was all very strange and saw no reaction at all from stewards for almost a minute until they were finally taken off the pitch.
The unforeseen break helped the visitors who drew level just afterwards. The goal came when substitute Akinbiyi got the ball out wide and fired in a cross to the far post where Cole’s movement had won his space and supplied him with an easy tap in to level the scores.
Rangers needed to react and did as we pushed forward again looking for a winner. That goal was hard to come by now though as the visitors were buzzing with confidence and looked a real threat on the break. Wade Elliott almost put Burnley ahead when he fired against the post from long range.
We were getting back on top though as we knocked the ball around looking to work an opening. Damion Stewart won the ball 40 yards out and knocked it past a defender but as he went in for the volley he missed the ball totally. If he had connected he would have either burst the net or the fans in the upper loft would have been ducking.
Connolly had a good chance to put us back ahead when he brought down a ball on the edge of the box and hit a volley but it was straight tat the keeper. Connolly perhaps hit the volley too well and a slight slice in either direction would have been a goal.
Rowan Vine then missed a glorious chance after a good move as he was put clean through but fired wide of the post. Agyemang was continuing to cause plenty of panic and he helped create a chance for Leigterwood to shoot but the effort was saved.
Ephraim was forced off with an injury so Vine was moved wide and Blackstock went up front. The change didn’t have the desired effect though and with fifteen minutes to go the comeback was complete.
It was poor defending by Rangers as a simple ball in the box was not dealt with. Buzsacky had a chance to head it clear but looked like he had a call from Camp so let it drop over his head and Akinbiyi was on hand to head past Camp from close range. Quite who was meant to be marking Akinbyi was beyond me but it was a poor effort by everyone involved.
That goal was the cue for many fans to begin to leave and you could sense the belief going and Burnley began to stroke the ball around and keep possession to run the clock down.
The killer goal came and it was no shock that Andy Cole got it. A ball was played into the middle and Cole hit a shot on the turn past Camp to complete his hat trick and give the perfect response to the stick he got in the first half from some of the QPR fans.
Cole was taken off in the last minute and earned a decent ovation from the QPR fans left in the stadium, there were not many though with around 6,000 deciding to leave when the fourth goal went in. Buzsacky had a late free kick to bring it back to 4-3 but we couldn’t find the back of the net and a night that started so well had ended in depression.
This though was not the end of the world and to be honest was a game I quite enjoyed. Both sides tried to play football on the floor and it made for an entertaining evening. The result was not the one we wanted but it was hard to fault the team who had played so well for the first half an hour and did little wrong until the last fifteen minutes. No doubt that we missed Rowlands when he went off injured and the goal just before half time seemed to knock the stuffing out of us.
We could and should have been out of sight by half time but even when they got back to 2-2 we didn't let our heads drop and continued to play most of the football in their half. We had more chances but couldn't convert them. It was a harsh lesson for the back four who fell asleep three times to give Cole space to score but that’s a minor moan and something that can be improved on. We're heading in the right direction and have played far worse this season and won.
Rangers now have a mini break before some big games with the visit of Sheffield United a week on Saturday.
De Canio made just two changes to the side that won at Southampton. Damion Stewart came in for Michael Mancienne and Akos Buzsacky started in place of Kieran Lee.
Rangers started the game well looking to get an early goal and we went c lose through Hogan Ephraim when he cut inside on his right foot and shot wide of the post. Burnley looked good on the ball and kept it well in midfield but despite getting in some good positions they rarely threatened the Rangers goal with Rehmann and Stewart once again looking very solid.
We took the lead after fifteen minutes with yet another well worked goal. Buzsacky played it to Agyemang on the right wing and the in form striker took two defenders with him before back heeling it to Buzsacky who was able to run into space and pick out a perfect cross for Gavin Mahon to arrive at the far post and head into the back of the net. Great work from Agyemang and Buzsacky to create the goal and we looked like we were in for a fun evening.
Rangers were looking rampant with Agyemang running Burnley ragged. They had no answer to his power and pace as he produced his best performance in a QPR shirt so far. Buzsacky, Rowlands and Vine were pulling the strings for Rangers and it didn’t take long for us to get a second goal.
It came from a Burnley set piece and Delaney won the ball on the edge of our own box and surged forward on the counter attack. Delaney ran into the Burnley half and then picked out a lovely through ball to Agyemang and there was only one outcome as he took the ball round the keeper and placed the ball into the back of the net. Agyemang has been an absolute revelation since his arrival and he became the first player since Roy Wegerle to score in six games in a row. That’s eight goals for `dave` now and I don’t think a striker has come in and made this kind of impact at QPR since John Spencer’s arrival eleven years ago.
Rangers almost made it 3-0 soon afterwards with more sublime football. This time Buzsacky got the ball on the edge of the box and curled a shot past the keeper but just wide of the post. We then almost got the cherry on top of the cake when Zesh Rehmann broke forward like Franz Beckenbauer with the ball at his feet before looking up and curling a brilliant shot towards goal which the keeper did very well to keep out.
It was all too good to be true and as the fans started to chant Ole to every pass and let the Burnley fans know it was time to go home things started to go a bit wrong.
Martin Rowlands limped off and was replaced by Mikele Leigterwood. In hindsight De Canio probably should have brought on Blackstock and moved Vine out wide and Buzsacky into the middle to give us a nice balance in midfield but instead we had the Mahon/Leigterwood partnership which struggled to get forward and support the front two. Of course it is easy saying that now and when the change was made I doubt anyone in the stadium expected what was to come.
Burnley won a debatable free kick around 40 yards out and as Burnley got ready to take it the Q and R blocks started singing Your not famous anymore to Andy Cole along with a few other songs. The reaction? A player who had barley looked interested all half suddenly woke up and showed his class. The free kick was blasted in and Cole deflected the ball past Camp to get his side back in and celebrated by blowing a kiss to the Q block.
The half time whistle went soon after and the feeling of euphoria around the stadium had suddenly gone to one of nerves with the score now at 2-1.
The game was still there to be won though by Rangers and we started the second half reasonably well with the game being quite end to end as both sides looked for more goals. Ephraim had two chances to extend the lead the best of them testing the keeper as he turned and hit a shot from ten yards out.
Agyemang continued to cause problems playing a nice one-two with Buzsacky to break into the box but his ball across the six yard box was cleared.
The game was then delayed after a bizarre protest when two men ran on the pitch with a banner saying “Campbell causes Leukaemia”. I’m not sure if this was about Naomi Campbell or Burnley fan Alistair Campbell but was all very strange and saw no reaction at all from stewards for almost a minute until they were finally taken off the pitch.
The unforeseen break helped the visitors who drew level just afterwards. The goal came when substitute Akinbiyi got the ball out wide and fired in a cross to the far post where Cole’s movement had won his space and supplied him with an easy tap in to level the scores.
Rangers needed to react and did as we pushed forward again looking for a winner. That goal was hard to come by now though as the visitors were buzzing with confidence and looked a real threat on the break. Wade Elliott almost put Burnley ahead when he fired against the post from long range.
We were getting back on top though as we knocked the ball around looking to work an opening. Damion Stewart won the ball 40 yards out and knocked it past a defender but as he went in for the volley he missed the ball totally. If he had connected he would have either burst the net or the fans in the upper loft would have been ducking.
Connolly had a good chance to put us back ahead when he brought down a ball on the edge of the box and hit a volley but it was straight tat the keeper. Connolly perhaps hit the volley too well and a slight slice in either direction would have been a goal.
Rowan Vine then missed a glorious chance after a good move as he was put clean through but fired wide of the post. Agyemang was continuing to cause plenty of panic and he helped create a chance for Leigterwood to shoot but the effort was saved.
Ephraim was forced off with an injury so Vine was moved wide and Blackstock went up front. The change didn’t have the desired effect though and with fifteen minutes to go the comeback was complete.
It was poor defending by Rangers as a simple ball in the box was not dealt with. Buzsacky had a chance to head it clear but looked like he had a call from Camp so let it drop over his head and Akinbiyi was on hand to head past Camp from close range. Quite who was meant to be marking Akinbyi was beyond me but it was a poor effort by everyone involved.
That goal was the cue for many fans to begin to leave and you could sense the belief going and Burnley began to stroke the ball around and keep possession to run the clock down.
The killer goal came and it was no shock that Andy Cole got it. A ball was played into the middle and Cole hit a shot on the turn past Camp to complete his hat trick and give the perfect response to the stick he got in the first half from some of the QPR fans.
Cole was taken off in the last minute and earned a decent ovation from the QPR fans left in the stadium, there were not many though with around 6,000 deciding to leave when the fourth goal went in. Buzsacky had a late free kick to bring it back to 4-3 but we couldn’t find the back of the net and a night that started so well had ended in depression.
This though was not the end of the world and to be honest was a game I quite enjoyed. Both sides tried to play football on the floor and it made for an entertaining evening. The result was not the one we wanted but it was hard to fault the team who had played so well for the first half an hour and did little wrong until the last fifteen minutes. No doubt that we missed Rowlands when he went off injured and the goal just before half time seemed to knock the stuffing out of us.
We could and should have been out of sight by half time but even when they got back to 2-2 we didn't let our heads drop and continued to play most of the football in their half. We had more chances but couldn't convert them. It was a harsh lesson for the back four who fell asleep three times to give Cole space to score but that’s a minor moan and something that can be improved on. We're heading in the right direction and have played far worse this season and won.
Rangers now have a mini break before some big games with the visit of Sheffield United a week on Saturday.
Man of the Match: Patrick Agyemang
Players Ratings: Camp 6, Connolly 7 (Mancienne 6), Rehmann 7, Stewart 6, Delaney 7, Buzsacky 7, Mahon 7, Rowlands 7 (Leigterwood 6), Ephraim 7 (Blackstock 6), Agyemang 8 Vine 6