Neil Warnock denied that the failure to beat ten man Nottingham Forest was an opportunity missed, but admitted he wasn’t happy with his side’s defending.
Warnock told the club’s official website: “It's not a missed opportunity. I think it's a good point. It's not today's game that will decide our fate - it's the 15 games that are left. If you'd have offered me this position at the start of the season with 15 games left I would have snapped your hand off. We're doing alright. Sometimes it can be hard against ten men, as we showed at Reading in our last match. The freekick we gave away which led to their goal was a schoolboy error. I was disappointed with my centre halves today."
Having criticised his centre backs for their performance against Forest Neil Warnock will have noted carefully Danny Shittu’s performance for the reserves against Crystal Palace today. Shittu opened the scoring in a 4-1 win. Harrow Borough striker Troy Hewitt, enjoying a prolonged trial with Rangers, scored two and Heidar Helguson got one. The Icelandic forward completed 45 minutes as he is nursed back to health from his latest injury, Akos Buzsaky played for an hour.
One of the better QPR performers against Forest Ishmael Miller has been linked with a move back to West Brom. The Baggies have just appointed Roy Hogson as their new manager and are entitled to call Miller back any time after he has been on loan with QPR for a month which means he could be back at the Hawthorns after this weekend’s game at Preston. That’s bad news as it is, but it comes against a backdrop of another injury to Tommy Smith.
The former Watford man scored his 100th career goal but left the field at the end of the first half on Sunday having suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out for two to three weeks during which time Rangers play six games. Smith told the club’s official website: “It was a bitter-sweet afternoon, I was delighted with the goal and feeling really good, but then I felt a tweak. But that's football - the highs and lows are incredible. I knew I was approaching 100 goals, but it wasn't until after the game - when I spoke to my Dad - that I knew that was the 100th. He knows all my career stats and was the first to tell me. I was really pleased with the goal, because it's something I've been working on over the last few weeks. I need to add more goals to my game and I've been practicing cutting in from the right flank and getting a shot away with my left foot, so it was pleasing to see it come off on Sunday. I'll always remember my 100th goal."
Leon Clarke was on the score sheet tonight as Preston secured a surprise 2-2 draw at Watford. The league’s bottom side raced into a two goal lead before half time with Clarke scoring the second but were subsequently pegged back to 2-2 by the Hornets which means manager Phil Brown is still awaiting a first win as North End manager seven matches into his reign. They play QPR next.
Gary Borrowdale was suspended for Carlisle’s 1-0 win at Oldham tonight after he was sent off in the first half of their defeat at Southampton on Saturday.
Rowan Vine has extended his loan at MK Dons until March 14 despite failing to find the net in six appearances so far. Vine made the first start of his temporary spell with Karl Robinson’s men on Saturday against Brentford after five previous substitute appearances. He started again on Tuesday night but failed to register a goal and couldn’t stop the Dons slipping to a 3-2 home defeat by in form Leyton Orient…
… speaking of which two of Orient’s goals tonight were scored by our former loanee Jimmy Smith. The O’s are unbeaten in their last 11 matches under former Grimsby boss Russell Slade and Smith has scored six goals in that run to take his overall tally for the season to seven. Smith made his name at QPR as a goal scoring central midfielder, bagging six in 22 starts for the R’s in the 2006/07 season when John Gregory’s side pulled off a great escape from relegation. His final goal for Rangers came in a crucial end of season win at Coventry which all but ensured survival. He went on to enjoy loan spells with Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday but despite captaining Chelsea’s reserves never made the breakthrough at Stamford Bridge and has been forced to drop down to League One to pick up regular first team action.
He told the London Evening Standard: “It was frustrating that I never really got the chance,” said the 23-year-old. “I remember thinking I was involved, then I'd go on loan. I'd come back to a new manager and think I'd have another chance. I was always in and around the first team but things changed. That's why I felt it was time to move on and do what's right for me.”
“I feel like I have gone home after all my travels. The best thing about Orient is I know where I'm going to be from one week to the next. It's the reason I left Chelsea even though I had a year left on my contract. I still have ambitions to get back to the Premier League. My contract is up at the end of the season. I will have to speak to them about whether I'll sign a new deal or move on. My game has improved even though I am playing in League One. The more games you get under your belt can only help you.”
Smith and his Orient team mates have a chance to showcase their talents on the biggest stage of all this weekend when Premiership giants Arsenal visit Brisbane Road in the FA Cup.
You may also have noticed another former R on the scoresheet tonight too. That’s right, the much maligned Peter Crouch has been at it again netting a late winner for Tottenham in the San Siro against AC Milan in the Champions League. Crouch was on the end of a flying counter attack led by Aaron Lennon ten minutes from time and calmly gave Spurs a valuable one goal lead to take back to White Hart Lane for the second leg. It was Crouch’s fourth goal of the Champions League campaign so far.
Not to be out done our former trainee Raheem Sterling scored an incredible five goals for Liverpool’s Under 18s as they hammered poor Southend 9-0 in the FA Youth Cup. QPR were eliminated earlier this season on penalties by Nottingham Forest.
- Cardiff missed a chance to gain ground on QPR at the top of the Championship when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Burnley in one of their games in hand tonight. The big winners on the night were Ipswich who won 6-0 at Doncaster thanks to a hat trick from Connor Wickham.
- Mickey Adams is still awaiting his first win as Sheff Utd boss after eight games in charge – they drew 1-1 with Reading tonight. Earlier in the day the Blades signed Bjorn Helge Riise on loan from Fulham for the rest of the season, and Wolves striker Sam Vokes on a one month loan deal. They are also set to loan striker Jamie Ward to Derby.
- Hull have signed Leicester’s reigning Player of the Year Jack Hobbs on loan for the rest of the season. Hobbs recently lost his place at the Walkers Stadium to new signing Sol Bamba.