Back to 2006 in History ahead of Saturday’s trip to Cardiff City, as we look back to Ray Jones' last minute televised winner at Ninian Park for John Gregory's struggling QPR side.

Memorable Match

Cardiff City 0 Queens Park Rangers 1, Friday November 17, 2006, Championship

The old Ninian Park ground was never the most hospitable place for a visiting team from England.

The tendency of QPR and Cardiff to compete for promotions at the same time in the early part of the last decade, with Ian Holloway in one dugout and Lennie Lawrence in the other, meant trips to South Wales were often more fraught for Rangers than most.

A last minute winner from Richard Langley in the 2002/03 season as the R's chased a play-off spot, followed by the QPR fans being held in afterwards just long enough for the locals to get nice and organised outside, a particularly interesting experience.

By the time the R's paid a visit in November 2006, however, minds were more occupied with relegation worries than promotion hopes. Holloway had gone, and Gary Waddock hadn't lasted long as his replacement. A weird and wonderful collection of cheap buys from favoured agents by chairman Gianni Paladini had lumbered the club with what was obviously one of the worst teams in the division. The task of keeping it up, after just one win from the first eight matches, was handed to Paladini's good friend, and former QPR midfielder, John Gregory.

He'd started with a pair of wins, at home to Hull and very impressively away at Southampton, but had then gone five without a victory despite the team scoring prolificly. Lee Cook and Jimmy Smith formed a goalscoring pair from midfield, with Dexter Blackstock and young Ray Jones in attack. Sadly, a defence including Zesh Rehman couldn't match those standards and 3-3 draws with Norwich and West Brom were quickly clocked up.

Cook was insatiable in a 4-2 home win against Palace and Smith scored again a week later in a 3-2 success at Luton Town to start moving Rangers clear of danger. But a Friday night trip to Cardiff, with the Sky cameras in situ, didn't immediately scream points.

The Bluebirds had set the early pace in the division, winning 11 of their first 17 matches including five straight through September. Wolves had been beaten 4-0 at Ninian Park and the best anyone had done as an away team so far was a draw — which West Brom and Derby had managed.

But Gregory's side discovered its defensive metal at just the right time, and looked good for a 0-0 draw right up until stoppage time when Australian midfielder Nick Ward knocked in a perfect centre for Ray Jones to slide in at the back post and win the game. Jones, sadly, died in the early part of the following season in a car accident leaving this goal as one of the main memories of a tragically short life and career.

Rangers, with Stefan Bailey in wonderful form in midfield, even had the cheek to perform a clear-the-box offside trap under a last minute Cardiff free kick.

The result sent Cardiff into a bizarre spiral. They didn't win any of the next 13 games through to the middle of January and actually only won six more matches in total for the whole season, slipping into the bottom half of the table.

QPR recovered from their own winter slump to string wins together at just the right time through April and saved themselves from relegation with a 3-2 home win against Luton and a 1-0 win at Coventry during the Easter weekend paving the way for the Flavio Briatore takeover later that summer.

Jones, tragically, never got to fulfil his potential. Out of favour at the start of the following season, and linked with a move to Colchester, he was left out of the matchday squad for a trip to Burnley with awful consequences. That Friday, with the rest of the team travelling north, he crashed his car into a London bus at high speed killing himself and two of his passengers.

Cardiff City: Alexander 7, McNaughton 8, Purse 7, Loovens 6, Gunter 8, McPhail 6, Parry 7 (Kamara 81, -), Ledley 6, Scimeca 6, Chopra 7, Thompson 6.

Subs: Johnson, Howard, Cooper, Campbell.

Bookings: Parry 45

QPR: Royce 7, Bignot 7, Rehman 7, Stewart 9, Mancienne 7,Ainsworth - (Ward 14, 6), Cook 7, Bailey 8, Nygaard 7, Blackstock 7 (R Jones 65, 7), Smith 7.

Subs: Milanese, P Jones, Baidoo.

Scorers: R Jones 87 (assisted Ward)

Bookings: Bignot 76, Nygaard 85, Bailey 91

Classic encounters

LFW regular and AKUTR’s columnist Dave Barton has set up a QPR Memories YouTube channel, with a mixture of clips, classic games, and old highlights packages. His Cardiff packages are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter.

Recent Meetings:

Cardiff 0 QPR 0, Monday December 26, 2022, Championship

One of the worst football matches ever played. QPR should have had a penalty, but Keith Stroud was refereeing.

Cardiff: Allsop 5; Romeo 5, Ng 5, Kipre 5, O’Dowda 5; Wintle 5, Ralls 5, Philogene 4 (Harris 67, 5); Robinson 6, Colwill 4 (Whyte 83, -), Etete 4

Subs not used: Sang, Simpson, Luhtra, Rinomhota, Nkounkou

Bookings: Wintle 32 (foul), Romeo 84 (kicking ball away)

QPR: Dieng 5; Laird 5, Dickie 5, Dunne 6, Paal 5; Dozzell 5, Field 6, Iroegbunam 6 (Amos 80, -); Adomah 5 (Chair 73, 5), Dykes 4 (Roberts 73, 3), Willock 4 (Shodipo 73, 4)

Subs not used: Kakay, Archer, Masterson

Bookings: Iroegbunam 4 (foul), Laird 59 (kicking ball away), Roberts 86 (assault)

QPR 3 Cardiff 0, Wednesday October 19, 2022, Championship

What felt on the night like the end of Mick Beale’s brief reign at QPR, in fact turned out to be its peak. With their manager linked heavily with the Wolves job Rangers turned on the style to thrash a woeful Cardiff side and reach the summit of the Championship. They were aided and abetted by a dreadful refereeing decision which saw Sinclair Armstrong, on his first full start for the club, not only awarded a penalty for little more than a shoulder barge, and Simpson sent off into the bargain. Dykes converted that, and again soon after from an Ilias Chair assist, before Kenneth Paal iced the cake with his first goal for the club in the second half. Beale subsequently turned the job down and there was some deal of euphoria about how Rangers might kick on from there, but they won only one of the next seven matches and the manager did then leave after all for Glasgow.

QPR: Dieng 7; Laird 7 (Kakay 76, 6), Balogun 7, Clarke-Salter 7, Paal 7; Iroegbunam 7 (Amos 71, 6), Field 8, Johansen 7; Chair 8 (Bonne 76, 6), Dykes 8, Armstrong 7 (Dozzell 59, 6)

Subs not used: Archer, Dickie

Goals: Dykes 19 (penalty won by Armstrong), 33 (assisted Chair), Paal 74 (assisted Field)

Bookings: Johansen 26 (foul), Paal 79 (foul)

Cardiff City: Allsop 5; O’Dowda 5 (Ralls 76, 6), Ng 5 (Sang 45, 5), Simpson 4; Nkounkou 6, Sawyers 5 (Nelson 21, 5), Wintle 5 (Philogene-Bidance 76, 5), Rinomhota 5, Ojo 6; Robinson 4 (Harris 61, 5).

Subs not used: Alnwick, Etete

Red Cards: Simpson 19 (professional foul, I mean, not fair though really is it?)

Bookings: Ng (consonant neglect), Nelson (foul), Wintle (foul), Harris (foul)

QPR 1 Cardiff 2, Saturday March 5, 2022, Championship

QPR’s end of season collapse from play off contention continued apace in this fixture in March, as Cardiff came from behind to win at Loftus Road. Andre Gray’s firm opener should have settled the nerves, but he horribly fluffed a chance put on a plate for him by Chris Willock at the start of the second half and the R’s then let Cardiff roar back to win 2-1 with a quickfire double from Davies and Colwill.

QPR: Marshall 4; Oduabjo 6, Dickie 4, Dunne 5, Barbet 4, Wallace 5 (Adomah 81, -); Field 6 (Dozzell 84, -), Hendrick 5, Chair 5; Willock 6 (Amos 81, -), Gray 5

Subs not used: Kakay, Ball, McCallum, Mahoney

Goals: Gray 38 (unassisted)

Bookings: Dickie 73 (foul)

Cardiff: Smithies 6; Drameh 6, Ng 6, Flint 7, McGuinness 7, Doughty 6 (Bagan 57, 7); Vaulks 6 (Davies 56, 7), Wintle 7, Ralls 6; Colwill 8, Hugill 5 (Ikpeazu 82, -)

Subs not used: Phillips, Pack, King, Davies

Goals: Davies 70 (assisted Bagan), Colwill 74 (free kick won Davies)

Cardiff 0 QPR 1, Tuesday November 3, 2021, Championship

QPR won 1-0 at Cardiff for the second season in a row thanks to Andre Dozzell’s immaculate assist and Andre Gray’s precise finish. The stylish combination between the Dres just after the half hour was a rare moment of quality in an attritional game, painfully short of incident, played in a silent, half-empty stadium , and was enough to win the game for the visitors.

Cardiff: Smithies 6; Ng 6, McGuinness 5, Morrison 5, Nelson 5, Giles 6; Vaulks 6 (Ralls 80, -), Pack 5, Evans 5 (Harris 63, 5); Colwill 6, Moore 6

Subs not used: Phillips, Flint, Bacuna, Zimba

QPR: Dieng 6; Adomah 6, Dickie 7, Dunne 7, Barbet 5, Odubajo 7; Johansen 6, Dozzell 7 (Amos 83, -), Chair 6 (Ball 78, 6); Dykes 6, Gray 6 (Austin 54, 6)

Subs not used: Kakay, Archer, Thomas, Duke-Mckenna

Goals: Gray 37 (assisted Dozzell)

Bookings: Dickie 47 (foul), Adomah 85 (foul)

Cardiff 0 QPR 1, Wednesday January 20, 2021, Championship

Seny Dieng produced a goalkeeping masterclass as QPR completed a double over Cardiff City and got Neil Harris the sack for the second time in as many seasons. Chris Willock scored the only goal, forcing home from close range when Alex Smithies should really have done better. No such problems at the other end where Dieng made half a dozen brilliant stops to preserve a clean sheet and hard-fought 1-0 win.

Cardiff: Smithies 5; Ng 6 (Glatzel 76, 5), Morrison 6, Nelson 6, Bennett 5; Bacuna 6, Vaulks 6 (Ojo 76, 6), Ralls 6; Wilson 4 (Murphy 85, -), Moore 6, Watters 5 (Harris 55, 6)

Subs not used: Phillips, Sang, Bagan, Hoilett, Patten

QPR: Dieng 8; Dickie 8, Cameron 6, Barbet 6; Kane 6, Ball 7, Chair 6, Willock 6 (Kakay 83, -), Hämäläinen 5; Austin 6 (Bonne 70, 7), Dykes 6

Subs not used: Lumley, Thomas, Bettache, Kelman, Adomah, Duke-McKenna

Goals: Willock 71 (assisted Bonne)

Bookings: Barbet 36 (foul), Cameron 48 (foul), Chair 89 (time wasting)

QPR 3 Cardiff 2, Saturday October 31, 2020, Championship

QPR won, lost, and won again at the death when these sides met in the game of the season at Loftus Road in October. Mark Warburton’s side dominated through the first half, moving into a commanding 2-0 lead before the break with star man Ilias Chair volleying in the first from Albert Adomah’s cross, then taking a turn to set a second up for Todd Kane who finished with serious aplomb. Sadly, they turned the second half into a real ordeal. Conceding immediately when Yoann Barbet, of course, smashed through Kieffer Moore for a penalty converted by Joe Ralls. They dragged the agony out to five minutes from time when Conor Masterson inexplicably thrust an arm in the air for a second penalty, which Seny Dieng saved but could only parry back to Ralls for an equaliser. That looked to be that until Dom Ball let rip with a 25 yarder on his left foot in injury time and found the top corner for a dramatic 3-2 win.

QPR: Dieng 6; Kane 7, Masterson 5, Barbet 5, Hämäläinen 6; Cameron 6, Carroll 6; Adomah 7 (Willock 63, 6), Chair 8, (Ball 81, 7), Osayi-Samuel 7 (Bonne 90+5, -); Dykes 6

Subs not used: Kakay, Bettache, Kelman, Kelly

Goals: Chair 15 (assisted Adomah), Kane 27 (assisted Chair), Ball 90+1 (assisted Dykes)

Yellow Cards: Chair 15 (over celebrating), Cameron 31 (foul), Kane 45+3 (foul), Barbet 48 (foul, penalty concession)

Cardiff: Smithies 6; Bacuna 5 (Harris 90+5, -), Morrison 5, Nelson 5, Bennett 5; Pack 6, Vaulks 5 (Hoilett 46, 7); Ojo 6, Ralls 6, Murphy 6 (Tomlin 68, 7); Moore 6

Yellow Cards: Ralls 22 (foul), Bacuna 38 (foul), Tomlin 75 (foul)

Goals: Phillips, Whyte, Bamba, Bagan

Goals: Ralls 49 (penalty, won Moore, conceded Barbet), 85 (penalty rebound, won Moore, conceded Masterson)

QPR 6 Cardiff 1, Tuesday January 1, 2020, Championship

The pinnacle of the Mark Warburton era so far, potentially the pinnacle of the Mark Warburton era full stop, came at Loftus Road in the first week of January last year, against first Cardiff and then Swansea. Eleven goals were scored against the South Wales pair, six of them against Cardiff on New Year’s Day. Bright Osayi-Samuel’s torturing of the hapless Jazz Richards — a first and only LFW rating of 1/10 in the history of the website — was a performance for the ages. Ebere Eze’s Crossfield ball that took half the Cardiff team out of the game and allowed Wells to head home without breaking his stride after starting in a different time zone to the rest of the people involved in the move. Osayi-Samuel lashed in a second, then received a Joe Lumley clearance and danced his way through for a third before half time. There was a scrambled fourth from Wells immediately after half time, a goal for Eze to reward all his sublime approach work, and a hat trick completion for Wells via a glaring Aden Flint error. Cardiff scored in injury time, because we’re not allowed clean sheets, but it was one of the genuinely great days at Loftus Road.

QPR: Lumley 6; Cameron 7, Hall 7, Leistner 6, Wallace 7; Ball 8, Amos 8; Osayi-Samuel 9 (Smith 76, 6), Chair 8 (Pugh 66, 6), Eze 8; Wells 9 (Hugill 67, 6)

Subs not used: Kane, Manning, Mlakar, Kelly

Goals: Wells 9 (assisted Eze), 48 (assisted Eze, pre-assist Osayi-Samuel), 64 (assisted Flint), Osayi-Samuel 27 (assisted Wells), 41 (assisted Lumley), Eze 57 (assisted Chair)

Bookings: Leistner 39 (foul), Amos 86 (foul)

Cardiff: Etheridge 2; Nelson 2, Flint 3, Bamba 2 (Peltier 45, 2); Bacuna 3 (Ward 46, 4), Richards 1; Vaulks 5, Pack 4, Tomlin 4; Hoilett 5, Glatzel 4 (Whyte 69, 5)

Subs not used: Morrison, Smithies, Paterson, Madine

Goals: Vaulks 90+1 (unassisted)

Bookings: Tomlin 32 (foul)

Cardiff 3 QPR 0, Wednesday October 2, 2019, Championship

QPR produced the first in what has turned out to be a series of performances in which they held all of the possession and chances but still don’t win the game at Cardiff in October 2019. Rangers had 72% of the ball, forced numerous saves from Alex Smithies, hit the post, and missed numerous chances while losing 3-0 to three defensively shambolic goals in three of Cardiff’s four attacks in the game. Sean Morrison, Marlon Pack and Callum Paterson were the beneficiaries on a charitable night from the R’s.

Cardiff: Smithies 7; Peltier 6, Morrison 7, Flint 7, Bennett 5; Bacuna 5, Pack 6; Whyte 5 (Hoilett 87, -), Tomlin 6 (Paterson 65, 6), Murphy 5; Glatzel 5 (Ward 81, -)

Subs not used: Etheridge, Nelson, Mendez-Laing, Coxe

Goals: Morrison 11 (assisted Flint), Pack 45+1 (assisted Whyte), Paterson 72 (assisted Bacuna)

Bookings: Whyte 87 (foul), Paterson 80 (unsporting)

QPR: Kelly 5; Rangel 5 (Kane 66, 6), Cameron 4, Leistner 5, Manning 6; Ball 5 (Wells 63, 5), Scowen 6; Osayi-Samuel 6, Chair 6 (Pugh 80, -), Eze 7; Hugill 5

Subs not used: Lumley, Wallace, Mlakar, Masterson

Bookings: Manning 80 (unsporting)

QPR 2 Cardiff City 1, Monday January 1, 2018, Championship

A star was born on New Year’s Day when these sides met at Loftus Road early in 2018. High flying Cardiff looked to be on course for an away win when Joe Ralls converted a very generously awarded penalty after half time but Ragers subsequently plundered an equaliser when Matt Smith headed straight in from a Jack Robinson long throw. That set the scene for a spectacular winner on debut from young Paul Smyth, who skinned Manga for pace and then fired into the roof of the net over the top of Murphy in goal.

QPR: Smithies 7; Baptiste 8, Onuoha 6, Robinson 7; Cousins 7, Bidwell 6 (Lynch 84, -); Scowen 6, Luongo 6, Freeman 7; Smyth 8 (Oteh 77, 7), Smith 6

Subs not used: Wszolek, Lumley, Chair, Oseyi-Samuel, Sylla

Goals: Smith 62 (assisted Robinson), Smyth 72 (assisted Smith)

Yellows: Smyth 70 (repetitive fouling), Freeman 90+3 (foul)

Cardiff: Murphy 5; Manga 6, Bamba 6, Connolly 5; Peltier 6 (Damour 58, 6), Paterson 6, Ralls 7, Bennett 6; Healey 6 (Mendez-Laing 67, 6), Hoilett 7, Zohore 6

Subs not used: Richards, Tomlin, Pilkington, Halford, Etheridge

Goals: Ralls 54 (penalty — won Paterson)

Yellows: Connolly 18 (foul), Peltier 50 (foul)

Cardiff 2 QPR 1, Saturday August 26, 2017, Championship

QPR lost the first meeting between these sides that season despite surrendering their place in the League Cup to rest players for it back in August. Supposedly refreshed, Rangers took the lead after a quarter of an hour when Matt Smith headed in Luke Freeman’s cross. But two defensive catastrophies, the first from Steven Caulker and Nedum Onuoha letting Junior Hoilett in, the second from an injury time corner that Sol Bamba converted, let Neil Warnock’s side in for the winner.

Cardiff: Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Gunnarsson, Ralls; Mendez-Laing, Damour (Ward 82), Hoilett (Manga 82); Zohore

Subs not used: Richards, Tomlin, Halford, Murphy, Bogle

Goals: Hoilett 22 (unassisted), Bamba 45+1 (assisted Hoilett)

QPR: Smithies 7, Furlong 7, Caulker 3 (Wszolek 72, 6), Onuoha 5, Bidwell 6, Mackie 6 (Sylla 61, 6), Luongo 7. Scowen 7, Freeman 8, Smith 6, Washington 5 (Ngbakoto 70, 5)

Subs not used: Lua Lua, Baptiste, Robinson, Ingram

Goals: Smith 15 (assisted Freeman)

Bookings: Furlong 38 (foul)

QPR 2 Cardiff 1, Saturday March 4, 2017, Championship

QPR came from behind to beat Cardiff at Loftus Road last season on a special day to commemorate the lifting of the League Cup in 1967. Playing in all white, Rangers hit the post early through Conor Washington but were punished for leaving Sol Bamba unmarked at a first half corner when he headed home. The introduction of Yeni Ngbakoto on the hour changed the game. He burst through immediately to equalise then crossed for Matt Smith to head a winner in with seven minutes left for play.

QPR: Smithies 7; Perch 7, Onuoha 6, Lynch 6, Bidwell 6; Goss 6 (Ngbakoto 58, 7), Hall 6, Luongo 5 (Morrison 76, 4); Mackie 6 (Wszolek 81, -), Smith 6, Washington 6

Subs not used: Ingram, Furlong, Sylla, Manning

Goals: Ngbakoto 62 (assisted Mackie), Smith 83 (assisted Ngbakoto)

Bookings: Luongo 40 (foul), Perch 88 (standard Perch shin rattler)

Cardiff: McGregor 6; Connolly 5 (Bennett 86, -), Morrison 6, Bamba 6, Richards 6; Noone 6 (Pilkington 72, 6), Gunnarsson 6 (Halford 90, -), Ralls 6, Harris 8; Hoilett 6, Zohore 6

Subs not used: Whittingham, John, Murphy, Harris

Goals: Bamba 44 (assisted Noone)

Bookings: Morrison 66 (foul)

Cardiff City 0 QPR 2, Sunday August 14, 2016, Championship

Hard to comprehend, given what happened to the two sides over the rest of the season, but when QPR won at Cardiff back in August it put them top of the fledgling table with two wins from two games and no goals conceded. Cardiff meanwhile kicked around the bottom three until Paul Trollope was replaced by Neil Warnock. Goals from Steven Caulker, and a penalty from Tjaronn Chery after Seb Polter had been fouled, secured the points for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s team. Both clubs have since changed manager.

Cardiff: Marshall; Peltier, Manga, Connbolly, Richards (Noone 77); Whittingham, John, Ralls; Immers (Huws 75), Pilkington, Gounongbe (Zohore 75)

Subs not used: Morrison, Gunnarsson, Moore, Ajayi

Bookings: Ralls 90+4 (foul)

QPR: Smithies 7; Onuoha 7, Caulker 8, Hall 7, Bidwell 6; Cousins 6, Luongo 6, Henry 6, Gladwin 5 (N'Gbakoto 25, 7); Chery 7 (Washington 91, -), Polter 6 (Perch 90+2, -)

Subs not used: Ingram, El Khayati, Shodipo, Kpekawa

Goals: Caulker 76 (assisted Bidwell), Chery 85 (penalty, won Polter)

Bookings: Onuoha 8 (foul), Chery 21 (dissent), Luongo 61 (foul), Henry 86 (repetitive fouling)

Cardiff City 0 QPR 0, Saturday April 16, 2016, Championship

Matt Ingram impressed on his QPR debut when these sides met in South Wales in April last year, but an insipid fixture looked destined to finish goalless long before the end and the away following had to make do with taunting one sensitive soul to the right of the away end or most of the second half.

Cardiff: Marshall 6; Peltier 5, Morrison 6, Connolly 6, Malone 6; Noone 6, O’Keefe 6 (Ameobi 66, 7), Ralls 6, Whittingham 5 (Gunnarsson 81, -); Immers 5 (Zohore 80, -); Pilkington 5

Subs not used: Turner, Dikgacoi, Moore, Lawrence

Bookings: Pilkington 13 (diving), Peltier 49 (foul)

QPR: Ingram 7; Onuoha 6, Hall 6, Hill 6, Konchesky 4; Henry 6, Luongo 6, Faurlin 6, Phillips 6 (Washington 84, -); Chery 5 (El Khayati 72, 6); Polter 5 (Gladwin 66, 6)

Subs not used: Lumley, Hoilett, Petrasso, Kpekawa

Bookings: Konchesky 81 (foul)

QPR 2 Cardiff City 2, Saturday August 15, 2015, Championship

QPR contrived to blow a two goal lead in the final half hour of the first meeting between these sides last season, way back in August. Newly-relegated Rangers looked all set to get off to a winning start at home back in the second tier when Clint Hill headed home in first half stoppage time from a corner, then Charlie Austin did likewise before the hour with a heavy hint of handball along the way. But Rangers were slack at marking from set pieces themselves, allowing Morrison to pull once back for the visitors and when the referee missed a foul on Michael Doughty in injury time, Joe Mason was able to volley home a last-gasp equaliser from long range.

QPR: Green 5; Perch 5, Onuoha 7, Hill 6, Konchesky 5; Luongo 7, Henry 5; Phillips 6, Chery 7 (Doughty 55, 6), Gladwin 5 (Emmanuel-Thomas 76, 5); Austin 6 (Polter 68, 6)

Subs not used: Hall, Kpekawa, Faurlin, Lumley

Goals: Hill 33 (assisted Phillips), Austin 56 (assisted Phillips/Hill)

Cardiff: Moore 7; Peltier 5, Connolly 5, Morrison 6, Malone 7; Pilkington 6 (Ameobi 82, -), Dikgacoi 5 (Noone 68, 6), Whittingham 6, Ralls 7; Mason 8, Revell 5 (Jones 59, 7)

Subs not used: Fabio, Doyle, Gunnarsson, Wilson

Goals: Morrison 64 (assisted Whittingham), Malone 90 (assisted Ralls)

QPR 2 Cardiff City 1, Saturday November 27, 2010, Championship

QPR came out on top in the first meeting between these two sides during that promotion season. In a clash between first and second in the Championship, Cardiff drew first blood when a sloppy piece of QPR possession on halfway turned into a total disaster as Kaspars Gorkss lost his footing and presented the ball to Jay Bothroyd. He subsequently played in Craig Bellamy who looked offside but was allowed to continue and just about beat Paddy Kenny for the opening goal. Gorkss swiftly made amends though, planting a powerful header beyond Tom Heaton after meeting Tommy Smith’s well-flighted cross for the equaliser. Rangers went close to taking the lead for the first time midway through the second half when Jamie Mackie’s snap shot from long range was saved by Heaton but from the resulting corner Adel Taaabt regathered possession, rode the tackle of Naylor, and then danced his way into the penalty area before dispatching the ball into the top corner. Cardiff were denied a blatant late penalty when Matt Connolly tripped Jay Bothroyd but QPR should then have had one of their own when Leon Clarke was obviously bundled over in the penalty area while clean through on goal.

QPR: Kenny 8, Walker 7, Gorkss 6, Connolly 6, Hill 6, Derry 7, Faurlin 7, Mackie 7 (Agyemang 90, -), Taarabt 8 (Clarke 87, -), Smith 7 (Hall 90, -), Hulse 8

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Helguson, Ephraim

Booked: Hill (foul), Clarke (foul)

Goals: Gorkss 18 (assisted Smith), Taarabt 68 (assisted Derry/Smith)

Cardiff: Heaton 7, McNaughton 7, Hudson 5, Blake 6, Naylor 6, Drinkwater 7 (Koumas 57, 5), Whittingham 6, Olofinjana 7, Burke 7 (Chopra 80, -), Bellamy 8, Bothroyd 8

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Gyepes, McPhail, Keogh, Matthews

Booked: Koumas (foul), Whittingham (foul), Bellamy (dissent)

Goals: Bellamy 13 (assisted Bothroyd)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> Cardiff wins 28 >>> Draws 15 >>> QPR wins 40

2022/23 Cardiff 0 QPR 0

2022/23 QPR 3 Cardiff 0 (Dykes 2, Paal)

2021/22 QPR 1 Cardiff 2 (Gray)

2021/22 Cardiff 0 QPR 1 (Gray)

2020/21 Cardiff 0 QPR 1 (Willock)

2020/21 QPR 3 Cardiff 2 (Chair, Kane, Ball)

2019/20 QPR 6 Cardiff 1 (Wells 3, Osayi Samuel 2, Eze)

2019/20 Cardiff 3 QPR 0

2017/18 QPR 2 Cardiff 1 (Smith, Smyth)

2017/18 Cardiff 2 QPR 1 (Smith)

2016/17 QPR 2 Cardiff 1 (Smith, Ngbakoto)

2016/17 Cardiff 0 QPR 2 (Caulker, Chery)

2015/16 Cardiff 0 QPR 0

2015/16 QPR 2 Cardiff 2 (Hill, Austin)

2010/11 Cardiff 2 QPR 2 (Taarabt 2)

2010/11 QPR 2 Cardiff 1 (Gorkss, Taarabt)

2009/10 QPR 0 Cardiff 1

2009/10 Cardiff 0 QPR 2 (Simpson 2)

2008/09 Cardiff 0 QPR 0

2008/09 QPR 1 Cardiff 0 (Mahon)

2007/08 Cardiff 3 QPR 1 (Agyemang)

2007/08 QPR 0 Cardiff 2

2006/07 QPR 1 Cardiff 0 (Blackstock)

2006/07 Cardiff 0 QPR 1 (Jones)

2005/06 Cardiff 0 QPR 0

2005/06 QPR 1 Cardiff 0 (Nygaard)

2004/05 Cardiff 1 QPR 0

2004/05 QPR 1 Cardiff 0 (Shittu)

2002/03 Cardiff 1 QPR 0 (Play Off Final)

2002/03 Cardiff 1 QPR 2 (Furlong, Langley)

2002/03 QPR 0 Cardiff 4

2001/02 Cardiff 1 QPR 1 (Pacquette)

2001/02 QPR 2 Cardiff 1 (Thomson 2)

1999/00 QPR 1 Cardiff 2** (Peacock)

1999/00 Cardiff 1 QPR 2** (Langley, Fowler og)

1989/90 QPR 2 Cardiff 0* (Wilkins, Wegerle)

1989/90 Cardiff 0 QPR 0*

1988/89 Cardiff 1 QPR 4** (Falco 2, Maddix, Stein)

1988/89 QPR 3 Cardiff 0** (Francis, Fereday, Allen)

1981/82 Cardiff 1 QPR 2 (Allen, Mickelwhite)

1981/82 QPR 2 Cardiff 0 (Stainrod)

1980/81 QPR 2 Cardiff 0 (Fenwick, Langley)

1980/81 Cardiff 1 QPR 0

1979/80 QPR 3 Cardiff 0 (Allen 2, Roeder)

1979/80 Cardiff 1 QPR 0

1976/77 Cardiff 1 QPR 3** (Bowles, Thomas, Clement)

1972/73 Cardiff 0 QPR 0

1972/73 QPR 3 Cardiff 0 (Givens 2, Bowles)

1971/72 QPR 3 Cardiff 0 (Ferguson, O’Rourke, Leach)

1971/72 Cardiff 0 QPR 0

1970/71 Cardiff 1 QPR 0

1970/71 QPR 4 Cardiff 0** (Bridges, Saul, Marsh, Venables)

1970/71 QPR 0 Cardiff 1

1969/70 QPR 2 Cardiff 1 (Gillard, Marsh)

1969/70 Cardiff 4 QPR 2 (Venables, Bridges)

1967/68 Cardiff 1 QPR 0

1967/68 QPR 1 Cardiff 0 (I Morgan)

1951/52 QPR 1 Cardiff 1 (Smith)

1951/52 Cardiff 3 QPR 1 (Gilberg)

1950/51 Cardiff 4 QPR 2 (Shepherd 2)

1950/51 QPR 3 Cardiff 2 (Hatton, Heath, Wardle)

1949/50 Cardiff 4 QPR 0

1949/50 QPR 0 Cardiff 1

1948/49 Cardiff 3 QPR 0

1948/49 QPR 0 Cardiff 0

1946/47 QPR 2 Cardiff 3 (Wardle og, Pattison)

1946/47 Cardiff 2 QPR 2 (Durrant, Hatton)

1938/39 QPR 5 Cardiff 0 (Cheetham 2, Devine, McCarthy, Cape)

1938/39 Cardiff 1 QPR 0

1937/38 Cardiff 2 QPR 2 (Fitzgerald)

1937/38 QPR 2 Cardiff 1 (Cape, Lowe)

1936/37 QPR 6 Cardiff 0 (Charlton 3, Fitzgerald 3)

1936/37 Cardiff 2 QPR 0

1935/36 Cardiff 3 QPR 2 (Crawford, Lowe)

1935/36 QPR 5 Cardiff 1 (Lumsden 3, Cheetham 2)

1934/35 QPR 2 Cardiff 2 (Blackman, Dutton)

1934/35 Cardiff 2 QPR 1 (Farquarson og)

1933/34 Cardiff 3 QPR 1 (Brown)

1933/34 QPR 4 Cardiff 0 (Blake 2, Emmerson, Blackman)

1932/33 QPR 5 Cardiff 1 (Goddard 2, Rounce 2, Collins)

1932/33 Cardiff 2 QPR 5 (Marcroft 3, Goddard, Blackman)

1931/32 QPR 2 Cardiff 3 (Rounce, Haley)

1931/32 Cardiff 0 QPR 4 (Cribb 2, Goddard, Roberts og)

** - League Cup

* - FA Cup

Connections

Richard Langley >>> QPR 1996-2003, 2006-2006 >>> Cardiff 2003-2005

Richard Langley was the last QPR youth team player to graduate from the academy set up and establish himself as a regular first team player.

Viewed by many QPR fans as a superb midfield ball player capable of scoring world class goals and producing killer passes, he was nevertheless somebody whose career never progressed as it threatened to do having suffered two horrendous knee injuries.

Langley made his first team debut for QPR as a sub during a 3-1 defeat to Swindon in October 1998, at only 18 years old. A month later Langley got his first goal for the club in only his second appearance, opening the scoring in a 2-1 win over Barnsley at Loftus Road. Manager Gerry Francis has since said he had tried to get the groundsman to deliberately waterlog the Loftus Road pitch that night to try and get the game off such was his shortage of options but a lack of established first team players gave Langley his chance and he grabbed it with both hands. Langley looked like a great prospect and under Francis and formed an eye catching partnership the following campaign with Gavin Peacock and Stuart Wardley in the centre of the park, in a season where he only missed two league games for the Super Hoops.

Unfortunately the following season was a disappointing one for both Langley and Rangers as the team was relegated to the third tier for the first time since the 1970s. Langley missed the second half of that campaign and the start of the new season after suffering a serious knee injury in a home match against Fulham. While undoubtedly a tragedy for the player, and his team mate and close friend Clarke Carlisle who remarkably suffered the same injury in the same match, it actually did Rangers a favour as the club descended into administration, released the majority of the squad and sold anybody worth selling that summer. Undoubtedly had they been fit Langley and Carlisle would both have been flogged. When they returned to the team Ian Holloway was in charge but he still saw the midfielder as a key part of his Rangers side.

The 2002-03 season was arguably Langley’s best in a QPR shirt. Playing on the right-wing he helped Rangers finish in the top six and make the play-offs, scoring a hat trick in a memorable 3-1 win at Blackpool towards the end of the season. His goal in the semi-final first leg against Oldham vital in seeing Rangers make the final, but a sending off, and another red card earlier in the season in an LDV Vans game with Bristol City, in the same game meant that a gutted Langley would miss the final which the R’s went on to lose 1-0 to Cardiff.

That summer there was plenty of speculation about his future in W12 and although he started the 2003/04 season for Rangers, scoring in the first two games against Blackpool and Cheltenham, the club then accepted an offer just shy of a quarter of a million pounds from Cardiff who had been promoted in our stead. He spent two uneventful seasons in Wales, where the fans never really warmed to him, and won caps for Jamaica before returning to Rangers, now back in the Championship, on deadline day 2005, signing a one-year deal. He played 33 times that season and Rangers finished in the top half but was released that summer and joined Luton Town.

His career curtailed somewhat after that with further horrific knee injuries all but retiring him early. His time at Bristol Rovers was cut short and a subsequent move to Mansfield fell through. Played briefly in Thailand but can now be found summarising QPR games for local radio among other things.

Others >>> Alex Smithies, 2018-2022, QPR 2015-2018 >>> Neil Warnock, Cardiff (manager) 2016-2019, QPR (manager) 2010-2012 >>> Junior Hoilett, Cardiff 2016-2021, QPR 2012-2016 >>> Steven Caulker, QPR 2014-2017, Cardiff 2013-2014 >>> Matt Connolly, Cardiff 2012-2020, QPR 2008-2012 >>> Fabio, Cardiff 2014-2016, QPR 2013-2014 >>> Federicho Macheda, Cardiff 2014-2016, QPR (loan) 2012 >>> Jordon Mutch, QPR 2013-2014, Cardiff 2012-2014 >>> Heidar Helguson, Cardiff 2012/13, QPR 2008-2012 >>> Jay Bothroyd, QPR 2011-2013, Cardiff 2008-2011 >>> Wayne Routledge, QPR (loan) 2011, 2009-2010, Cardiff (loan) 2008-2009 >>> Chris Barker, QPR 2007-2008, Cardiff 2002-2007 >>> Leon Jeanne, Cardiff 2000-2001, QPR 1998-2000 >>> Matt Brazier, Cardiff 1999-2002, QPR 1994-1998 >>> Robbie James, Cardiff 1992-1993, QPR 1984-1987 >>> Wayne Fereday, Cardiff 1994-1995, QPR 1980-1989 >>> Andy McCulloch, Cardiff 1972-1974, QPR 1970-1972

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