| Coca Cola Championship | |
| Saturday November 1st | |
|
Ipswich
Town 2
|
Queens Park Rangers 0 |
| J.Stead (2) | |
Gareth Ainsworth couldn't have wished for a better start to his caretaker reign at QPR with a draw at Reading and win over Birmingham helping push him to the clear favourite to be the next QPR manager. Whether he gets the job or not or how much say he would get if he took over is something none of us know but he certainly brought back a feel good factor among the fans who travelled in numbers to Ipswich yesterday on a wet and windy afternoon. Ainsworth made three
changes to the side that beat Birmingham looking to keep the side
fresh and dominate in midfield with a 4-5-1 formation. The suspended
Leigterwood was replaced by Delaney as Connolly moved to right back.
Ledesma and Blackstock were dropped to the bench with Buzsaky and
Parejo returning to the first eleven. Once again it was
a pretty miserable day weather wise with the rain pouring down making
conditions difficult for both sides and worse for any fans in the
uncovered seats. Thankfully we had a roof over our heads so weren't
suffering the same soaking as the home supporters. Buzsaky was cutting
inside rather than playing wide and that created a chance for Cook
who took a touch but shot straight at the keeper. Rangers looked a threat going forward in an end to end start to the game as Di Carmine won a free kick over by the corner flag. Lee Cook ran over to take it and curled a brilliant shot across to beat the keeper but hit the crossbar. It was an audacious attempt by Cook and was so close to an opening goal. Rangers best chance of the half came through Daniel
Parejo. The Spanish midfielder closed down the full back and forced
an error which won us the ball back and Delaney's cross was half
cleared. Rangers built an attack again with Tomassi finding Parejo
out wide and he delivered a brilliant cross into the middle which
Rowlands raced in the middle to attack and headed to the bottom
corner but Richard Wright was equal to it making a fantastic diving
save. It was really was a great save from Wright and most of us
in the away end were already celebrating a goal as he got a hand
to it. Parejo was at the heart of our best work always wanting the ball and looking very dangerous. He skipped away from a defender before being hacked down for a free kick which upset the home fans who booed him for the rest of the game. I'm not sure why they booed him as it was a clear foul but Parejo got to his feet and lined up a free kick which he curled over the wall and yet again Wright got down well to produce a brilliant save and turn it wide of the post. Ipswich looked a threat when they got in behind the
Rangers defence but Radek Cerny was in fine form and made a decent
save from Waters as he shot low to Cerny's right. At half time Rangers
had been slightly the better side and looked the more effective
side in the final third but as has been the story all season away
from home we were not taking our chances and again that would come
back to haunt us. Ipswich were quicker to the ball and closed down
Parejo far better meaning we couldn't keep possession and as Buzsaky,
Parejo and Rowlands all drifted out of the game we began to struggle. Ipswich were putting some high balls into the box
which rangers were struggling to deal with and some poor defending
by Delaney allowed Lisbie to get in behind him but the former QPR
loanee took too long with his shot and Cerny got down well to make
another good save. A minute later he was involved with another foul
which he was booed for and sensibly Ainsworth opted to take him
off bringing on Blackstock. Although one fan behind me suggested
we'd have been better off with the red card as we play well with
ten men away from home. Ipswich then made a change that Rangers must have
wished they could make as Jon Stead came on. He may not be the best
player in the division but he caused problems as soon as he came
on and looked a real threat. Ainsworth made a second change taking off Buzsaky
for Ledesma and rangers had a brief spell of pressure where we almost
forced an opening. Parejo ran over to take a corner on the left
and whipped it right under the bard and it looked like it was going
in until Wright tipped it over the bar. Parejo had another go from the next corner and again
went close to scoring as they hacked it away before Cook got on
the loose ball and fired a shot just wide of the post. It was the
closest we had come all half and within a few minutes we were a
goal behind. It was another long free kick forward from Ipswich
that caused problems as Naylor again won the first header against
Hall and it fell to Stead who knocked it towards goal but Cerny
again saved it before Stead got his head on the rebound and it bounced
over the line for the opening goal. The Ipswich fans celebrated and many in the lower
tier below us turned to give it large, I didn't even realise there
was people down there as they had been so quiet but they were very
happy particularly one fat bloke who spent the rest of the game
waving and shouting at the QPR fans. Rangers looked to bounce back but looked a beaten side three minutes later when Ipswich added a second. A corner on the left was flighted to the far post where Stead rose above Delaney to head past Cerny. It was a piss poor goal to concede from our point of view but Ipswich were delighted and Stead had won it for them. Rangers struggled to keep the ball as Ipswich were
full of confidence and created more chances with Cerny made two
good saves and Jon Stead was denied his hat trick when a 30 yard
free kick hit the post. Rangers had nothing to offer as an attacking force
and despite some good work out wide from Cook on several occasions
his frustrations were evident when his crosses were met by four
defenders against one forward. I've no problems with us playing
4-5-1 especially away from home but when we do those 5 midfield
players really need to get in the box and support the striker otherwise
we're never going to score any goals. In the end Blackstock had one last chance to pull one back heading wide but it ended a miserable day for Rangers as the fans walked away in the pouring rain having seen Rangers fail to score on the road for a fifth league game in a row. For half of this game Rangers did at least look like scoring which is better than some of last few efforts on the road but we were overpowered in the second half. Ipswich looked a decent side and had a striker on
the bench who knows where the back of the net is, something rangers
are badly lacking at the moment and if Ainsworth or whoever the
next QPR manager will be is to have any chance of getting us promotion
he's going to need to get in some more firepower up front. On the positive side though Radek Cerny again had
a strong game as did Lee Cook who are both putting a mixed start
to the season behind them to shine in recent weeks. Rangers now face two home league games in a row and a chance to break into the top six against sides above us and in between that we'll be looking to end our barren away scoring run at Manchester United. Oh Dear! Man of the Match: Radek Cerny Players Ratings: Cerny 8, Connolly 7, Hall 7, Stewart 7, Delaney 6, Buzsaky 6 (Ledesma 5), Tomassi 7, Rowlands 6, Cook 7, Parejo 7, Di Carmine 6 (Blackstock 6) |
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