“If Chelsea were playing in my back garden I’d pull the curtains”, that was the message on the new t shirts sold by QPR last week but despite that boast almost 6,000 of us made the trip to Chelsea on a Wednesday evening and despite the result a jolly good time was had by all.

When the cup draw was made a few weeks back many QPR fans would have cheered the news that we were playing Chelsea again, not in my household though as the third round of the league cup was the week we had booked to away on holiday. Luckily for us due to our son Freddie not being able to get a passport so soon after his operation we went for a British Holiday with a week at Doniford Bay Holiday camp.

As soon as the draw came out Carly said to me do you want to check train times she knew as well as I did that this was a game I’d be coming home for and after checking I could get back to London on the Wednesday and back to sunny Somerset on the Thursday for just over £20 the deal was done, I was cutting the holiday short a trip behind enemy lines.

So after a few days of fun and games with Anxious the Elephant and Greedy the Monkey (I think I enjoyed the kids show more than my son) I headed off to Taunton to catch my lunchtime train full of excitement for the day ahead.

The journey flew by and after a quick stop at my dad’s to drop my bag off we were off to Earls Court for the first of many beers as we up with the usual crowd all feeling far more confident about a win the more we drank.

We got to the ground around five minutes before kickoff, a typical rush to the games which I’m getting accustomed to now that my wife no longer drags me out of the pub in good time to make kick offs. We did make this one though and arrived in our seats in the upper tier to hear 5,900 QPR screaming “Come on you R’s” at the top of their voices. A spine tingling moment if ever there was one.

Rangers in red and black hoops lined up with just two changes to the side that so impressively beat Cardiff. Tom Heaton started in goal which gave me a bit of a panic, would he be able to cope with the big occasion, a hell of a risk by Magilton in such a big game but one that paid off. Ben Watson missed out through being cup tied so Alejandro Faurlin came into the midfield. Adel Taarabt was also back from having the mumps and was on the bench.

The Chelsea team was interesting, they rested many of the senior players such as Cech, Drogba, Essien and Anelka but had the insurance of Terry, Cole and Lampard on the bench. The starting line up was far from week though with £18million signing Zhirkov making his debut whilst internationals such as Malouda, Mikel, Ferreira, Belletti and Joe Cole all started the game. It was a weakened Chelsea side but still one that would probably still be a top four Premiership team.

The game kicked off with Chelsea attacking towards the goal where the QPR fans were sat and they almost took an early lead when they worked the ball wide for Kalou who looked a few yards offside before breaking clear and shooting wide of the post.

Rangers quickly got into the swing of things though playing an adventurous 4-4-2 formation we got the ball down and looked to play from the back and get at the Champions league side.

Wayne Routledge was looking to run at the Chelsea defence at every opportunity and he was getting the better of his Russian counterpart on the right but the final ball was sadly lacking.

Jay Simpson showed great strength and a turn of pace to find space in the box but his shot on the turn was put over when he perhaps had a little more time to take another chance. It’s difficult to criticise though as 5,900 QPR fans were screaming shoot at him as he turned with the ball.

The atmosphere was electric and Rangers were looking more than a match for Chelsea. Rowlands as full of energy and bite in midfield whilst Faurlin added a touch of class with some wonderful passing, he really has belief n his own ability and is willing to hold onto the ball and look for a pass rather than rush and gave it away. That may count against him in the Championship but he certainly looks a very promising player from what I’ve seen of him.

Chelsea looked dangerous coming forward but had the QPR lack of trying to walk the ball in which is unusual for them. Malouda twice had chances to put the ball in the box from a good position but instead opted to run at Leigterwood and found the midfielder turned right back too big and strong to get past.

They were getting joy by spreading the play wide to the full backs but Zhirkov only put in one excellent ball which was headed wide by the young Borini making his full debut.

Rangers worked some good openings with Buzsaky and Faurlin working well together to put Rowan Vine into the box but he couldn’t produce the final pass to create an opportunity.

The closest we came to a first half goal came just after twenty minutes when Routledge picked up the ball in his own half and ran at the Chelsea defence. He dribbled the ball at pace and with his direct run took five Chelsea players out of the game, Routledge cleverly switched the play to Buzsaky who was in acres of space on the left. Buzsaky brought the ball under control, took a touch before volleying over the keeper and just wide of the post. It was a lovely move and so close to producing an excellent goal.

The QPR fans were in great voice with tons of encouragement and the best atmosphere produced at a Rangers game for a long time. The team kept the ball with around 30 passes across the back line and through midfield and we took great pleasure shouting “ole” as each pass was completed much to the anger of the fans to our right.

Chelsea looked to end the half on the front foot but Rangers were defending superbly denying them space through the middle and cutting out crosses from the wings. When they did get the ball in the box Tom Heaton was superb in claiming the ball above the heads of the onrushing Chelsea players.

A harsh free kick was given against Martin Rowlands right on half time which gave us a nervous last minute. Belletti stood over it and smashed the ball goal wards with a powerful shot but Heaton was equal to it parrying the ball away for a corner. The corner was half cleared before Chelsea continued to build the pressure but an excellent last ditch clearance by Gorkss made sure we went into the break goalless.
It had been a good first half from Rangers, we had more than matched Chelsea and were looking a very confident side with the ball and tough to break down.

As we went for a half time beer the QPR fans on the concourse were singing ”Kevin Gallen’s Magic”, I assumed this was due to us being at Chelsea but sure enough there was Kevin Gallen himself, sipping on a beer whilst posing for photographs, signing autographs and chatting with anyone who approached him. Some blokes ran over and sang “we hate Luton” right in his ear but he was good natured about it and just laughed it off.

On the pitch Paul Furlong was introduced to the home fans and the announcer had to explain who he was probably due to him being at Chelsea before the Russian millions. Furlong got a great reception from the QPR fans though and to be honest I still wish he was wearing that number 29 shirt for us now.

As the game was ready to be restarted I walked back to my seat only to have gone to the wrong block and stupidly had to walk out and back in again thus missing the first few minutes of the half. When I did make it back Frank Lampard was lining up a free kick, the England international was a half time change with the dreadful Malouda going off. Lampard lined up the free kick and kicked it straight at the wall probably hoping for a deflection, I’ll be honest that was one of the only times I noticed him on the pitch all night, quite how he got man of the match in so many papers the following morning is still a mystery.

Rangers were growing in confidence and Routledge continued to cause problems with his pace and skill on the ball but a half chance he created for Vine was blocked away by Hutchinson.

Then came the moment we all dreaded but were kind of expecting. Routledge was brought down under a hefty challenge which looked a foul to me but play was waved on. Joe Cole got the ball on the halfway line and after bringing it down with his hand he dribbled past Faurlin and Rowlands to set Kalou through on the left. The African striker ran into the box teasing Leigterwood before placing a shot past Heaton into the bottom corner. A nice finish but the game really should have been stopped for the handball by Cole, something the TV pictures have not shown.

Rangers now had an uphill challenge but rather than let heads drop we continued to play good attacking football looking to create chances and get an equaliser.

The hard working Simpson continued to cause the home defence problems whilst Routledge went close to a goal but when through on goal the onrushing keeper just got the ball before hi. It was a case of so far yet so far for QPR. Chelsea reacted to the Rangers pressure by bringing on Ashley Cole as the so called Chelsea reserves began to look a lot more like the first team.

The noise from the away end never dropped and we continued to urge them on, the closest we came was on the hour mark and was inches away from ecstasy.

Buzsaky got the ball on the right and after taking a touch he sent in a dipping shot which bounced in front of the keeper and bounced up and just as it looked as if the bounce would take it over Hillario and into the bottom corner he got a touch on it to push it wide for a corner. Again so near yet so far. The resulting corner was brilliantly put into the box right on the head of Gorkss but just as the Latvian was ready to put the ball away Ivanovic rose high to clear just in the nick of time.

Rangers began to make changes of our own which in truth upset the balance of the side. The excellent Simpson and hardworking Vine were replaced by Taarabt and Pellicori whilst Hogan Ephraim replaced the outstanding Rowlands with Buzsaky moving into the middle.

Chelsea made a third change as well with each change bringing on a more loathsome player. This time it was Mr Man City sorry Mr new overpaid contract at Chelsea John Terry. He at least gave us something to shout about with a sustained burst of “Your Mums a thief” from the QPR fans. The abuse towards Terry continued as he was certainly let know that his mother should possibly be in jail.

The game was dying a little as we went into the final stages, Ephraim got a whack to the head with his first touch and we were down to ten men for around five minutes as he was given a Basil Fawlty style head bandage, Chelsea failed to make the extra man pay with a comedy own goal attempt by Stewart the home sides best chance. Borini aimed a header straight at Heaton as well whilst a tiring Joe Cole shot powerful straight into the face of Tom Heaton.

Rangers were really working hard to stay in the game and never once stopped trying to pass the ball always looking to keep it and create openings which was fantastic to see.

Taarabt showed great skill to run at the Chelsea defence but couldn’t get that final pass or shot away apart from once when his effort was blocked away for a corner.

The chances of an equaliser were diminishing with every passing minute bad I have to admit with ten minutes left I began to realise that goal was not going to come, I think a few of the players thought it as well as we began to lack the belief in the final third that we had shown for the previous 80 minutes.

We did get one last chance as a free kick from 30 yards out was lined up by Buzsaky. Everyone bar the keeper came forward and looked to create one last chance with just minutes remaining. Buzsaky though opted to shoot and fired the ball into the upper tier and the reaction of Stewart and Gorkss to the Hungarian said it all, that was our last chance gone.

Leigterwood smashed a desperate long range injury time shot high and wide as the fans stood and sang our hearts out for the final few minutes. The final whistle brought great relief from the now half empty Stamford Bridge (it’s a long way back to Surrey) and a huge ovation for the QPR players from the travelling fans.

This ad been a far closer game than the previous encounter in the FA Cup and for much of the game we more than matched Chelsea Of course this was not the best side they could put out but they did have plenty of quality and they certainly ended the game with the strongest side they had available on the night.

Rangers can take much from this game both on and off the pitch. Off the pitch the fans have found their voice again and if we can give half that encouragement at Loftus Road then this could well become a league fixture sooner rather than later.

On the pitch the team continues to look better with each game the more they are playing together. Magilton seems to have settled on a side now with Vine and Simpson beginning to build a decent partnership and Buzsaky is certainly growing into his wide midfield role.

It’s hard to pick any one player out for this performance, everyone played well from the hugely impressive Heaton in goal to the midfield master class of Rowlands. Faurlin continues to impress me and with time and games he could be a hell of a player for us whilst Vine looked a lot more like his old self in this one.

It’s back to reality now with a home match with Barnsley next on the agenda but for the second year in a row Rangers exit the league cup full of pride at the performance and effort put in which we really should look to build on in the coming weeks.