Coca Cola Championship
Saturday August 22nd  
   
Queens Park Rangers 1
Nottingham Forest 1
   
M.Leigterwood 25 mins D.McGoldrick 57 mins
   
   
   
Team Line Up
   
         
24. R. Cerny 6/10
2. P. Ramage 6/10
3. Damion Stewart 5/10
5. F.Hall 6/10
29. G.Borrowdale 5/10
13. K.Gorkss (45) 6/10
         
7. W. Routledge 7/10
 
18. Alejandro Faurlin 7/10
6. M. Leigterwood (c) 7/10
 
39. A.Taarabt 6/10
10. A.Buzsaky (66) 6/10
           
 
9. H.Helguson 6/10
12. A.Pellicori 6/10
   
8. R.Vine (61) 6/10
 
       
Subs Not Used: T.Heaton, M.Connolly, G.Mahon, P.Agyemang
Substitutes in yellow  


It's seems to be getting harder and harder to write these match reports and find something different to say each week.

It's only been five games so far this season and Saturday was just my second that I've been too but it was the same old story. Rangers problem leading up to the visit of Nottingham Forest had been we had been creating tons of chances (more shots on goal than any other team in the league) but had scored just twice in the league and one of them was a cross.

Of course many pointed to the fact that once we started scoring we wouldn't stop but whilst we have been creating plenty and missing them it was only a matter of time before confidence was affected and the dominance shown in recent games would be gone. That's what happened on Saturday in what had to be the most frustrating afternoon I've spent at Loftus Road in a long time.

I missed the teams being read out as we left the pub late but it took me a good half an hour to work out the number 17 for Forest was David Mcgoldrick rather than Dexter Blackstock. That was a relief when I realised our former top scorer was not playing but our former keeper Lee Camp was in goal and got a mixed reception from the QPR fans as we attacked towards the Loft in the first half.

Forest started the brighter of the two teams and could have been in front early when Cerny made an excellent double save the second part really should have been a goal but was a poor finish by McGoldrick. The former Southampton man missed another very good chance when clean through and put his shot wide of Cerny's goal.

Rangers also had chances as Borrowdale fired over after a good move involving Routledge on the right. Taarabt went close after a lovely passing move but he passed the ball just wide of the post.

It wasn't our best performance by a long way but we took the lead with an absolute screamer. Leigterwood picked up the ball on the right wing and cut inside to the edge of the box before curling a powerful shot into the top corner through a body of players giving an unsighted Lee Camp no chance.

It was the kind of shot he regularly finds the upper loft with but this time he had his eye in and scored a brilliant goal.
That should have been a sign to push on for Rangers but we never really did and Forest ended the half on top but it was Rangers who went in ahead at the break.

Jim Magilton made a change at half time taking off the injured Fitz Hall and on came Kaspars Gorkss. Rangers produced a pretty poor half of football though and handed the initiative to Forest from the start by sitting back and inviting pressure on. Rather than go and look for the killer second goal the team looked nervous and treated the ball like a hot potato.

An equaliser was coming and it was no shock when it was poor defending that lead to it arriving. A long ball forward by Camp was flicked on by Adebola and McGoldrick was given space by Gorkss and Borrowdale to get in between them and beat Cerny from 12 yards out.

Rangers reacted by bringing on Buzsaky and Vine for Taarabt and Pellicori but the chances for Rangers were mostly from long range, Buzsaky forced a good save from Camp whilst Vine went close from the edge of the box.

Dexter Blackstock came on to a good ovation from the QPR fans (a better one than when he played for us) and he almost won it for Forest seeing his goal bound poke saved by Cerny and bounce towards goal where Ramage cleared off the line.

Rangers could and should have won it after a nice move on the right saw Buzsaky pick out Helguson with a lovely cross and with the goal at his mercy he placed his header over the bar, he really does have a head like a 50 pence piece, how on earth he misses so many easy chances I'll never know.

In the end a draw was about right to be honest, Forest played the better football and looked a threat but Rangers had the better chances. Plenty to work on for Rangers who look a side low in confidence and in desperate need of someone who can score goals.