QPR v Scunthorpe United

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Football League Championship

QPR :
Camp, Mancienne, Buzsaky (Mahon 81), Connolly, Delaney, Vine, Leigertwood, Rowlands (Stewart 89), Hall, Agyemang (Lee 89), Blackstock
Subs not used:
Pickens, Balanta

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Iriekpen, Crosby, Baraclough, Butler, Sparrow, McCann (May 83), Goodwin, Cork, Hayes (Hurst 87), Horsfield
Subs not used:
Hobbs, Lillis, Horlock

SULSESC REPORT

by Richard Pollard at Loftus Road

NEXT stop on the Iron’s march to League One status was the home of QPR in the west London suburb of White City. With Laksmi Mittal and Bernie Ecclestone on their Board, together with various luminaries such as Naomi Campbell among their supporters, I was expecting a more glamorous setting than the slightly east European feel around Loftus Road. Fortunately our rendezvous in the Blue Posts had saved too much need to visit the establishments near the ground.

Whilst millionaire chairmen do not always guarantee any useful spending, QPR have reinforced well and included ex-Premiership players such as Lee Camp and Dexter Blackstock. Scunthorpe, meanwhile, paraded recent acquisitions such as Horsfield and Horlock.

Expectations in the home crowd remained high.

United started well and had much the better of the first-half. McCann’s crafty free kick floated in almost too easily. Scunthorpe pressed on and looked good for a second with Hayes also going close.

The home side were particularly rattled by United’s robust tackling and direct style. In the latter part of the opening half, QPR began to win more possession and received the perfect present in the shape of an Iriekpen penalty box lunge, so late it could have been announced by British Rail.

Going into the break all square was not a complete disaster however, and United had already shown the capability to score again. Unfortunately the half-time team talk/pies did not work, and United came out flat footed with the home team realising that our game plan did not include too much in the way of variation. With United beginning to sit further and further back, QPR began to play the ball out from defence confidently.

Any United possession was being hopefully punted upfield for Hayes and Horsfield, not the quickest pair in any race. After the hour mark, the United faithful were screaming to bring on some pace or control, preferably before the opposition scored. The advice fell on deaf ears and QPR popped in the inevitable second goal at the end of a depressingly slick passing sequence.

The rest was predictable enough with United not possessing the speed and invention needed to trouble the home defence again. QPR slid a third goal in at the death to complete the turnaround. The absence of any pace or width had told in the end with our main threat being limited to set pieces. Only Cork managed to look comfortable on the ball, although McCann had also shown glimpses of a better pedigree. United should be more competitive next season, but Ms.Campbell may need to wait a while before she gets the chance to meet us again.