QPR got their Championship title challenge back on track after two defeats with a 4-0 Boxing Day win against Swansea a year ago. Can they do the same again on Tuesday evening?
QPR 4 Swansea 0, Sunday December 26, 2010, Championship
QPR could well do with a repeat of their last Boxing Day encounter with Swansea when they head to Swansea this Christmas. Rangers, top of the league but hotly pursued by the Swans, Cardiff and others, had gone 19 matches unbeaten at the start of the season but faltered heading into the Christmas period with quick fire defeats against Watford at Loftus Road and at Leeds. Swansea fancied their chances in W12 but Jamie Mackie planted a firm shot beyond Dorus De Vries for the opening goal and then the game took a dramatic turn when Alan Tate hacked down Kyle Walker as he raced through on goal and then went to headbutt Clint Hill in the ensuing melee. Tate was rightly sent off, but Hill followed him in a strange decision from referee Phil Crossley that was later overturned by the authorities. QPR coped much better with ten men and romped away to victory inspired by Adel Taarabt. The Moroccan won an obvious penalty from Ashley Williams, who was lucky not to be sent off himself, after half time and allowed Heidar Helguson to convert it. Taarabt smashed in a third on the volley, with De Vries at fault for allowing it to squeeze through him, and then added a fourth with an outrageous Goal of the Season candidate from 25 yards after two back flicks and an outrageous nutmeg past Joe Allen.
QPR: Kenny 7, Walker 9, Connolly 7, Gorkss 7, Hill 6, Derry 7, Faurlin 6, Mackie 7, Taarabt 9 (Rowlands 83, -), Smith 6 (Orr 21, 6), Helguson 8 (Hulse 86, -)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Clarke, Agyemang, Ephraim
Sent Off: Hill 19 (fighting)
Goals: Mackie 16 (assisted Taarabt), Helguson 62 (penalty won Taarabt), Taarabt 70 (assisted Helguson), 80 (unassisted)
Swansea: De Vries 3, Rangel 6, Tate 4, Monk 4, Williams 6, Agustien 6 (Dobbie 71, 5), Allen 6, Pratley 6, Dyer 5 (Taylor 20, 5), Sinclair 6, Beattie 6 (Easter 71, 5)
Subs Not Used: Ma-Kalambay, Orlandi, Serran, Gower
Sent Off: Tate 19 (fighting)
Booked: Williams (foul)
Swansea 0 QPR 0, Tuesday October 19, 2010, Championship
QPR were indebted to goalkeeper Paddy Kenny when these sides met at the Liberty Stadium in October last year, but Jamie Mackie should have made the goalkeeper’s first half penalty save all the more crucial by snatching a winner. Kenny dived low to save David Cotterill’s easily telegraphed spot kick five minutes before half time after Darren Pratley was bundled over in the QPR penalty area. Before that Mackie had volleyed into the side netting from close range with the goal gaping after the ball dropped to him from a corner, then in the second half he took too many touches in a one on one situation and allowed Dorus De Vries to race from his goal line and save. Adel Taarabt was substituted late on, although he was lucky not to be sent off just prior to the change with the Swansea players successfully winding him up and tempting a reckless challenge while he was on a yellow card.
Swansea: De Vries 7, Williams 7, Tate 8, Monk 7, Rangel 7, Cotterill 6 (Allen 46, 8), Pratley 7, Orlandi 7 (Beattie 85, -), Dyer 5, Sinclair 6, Dobbie 7 (Nouble 65, 4)
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Serran, Ma-Kalambay, Emnes
Booked: Monk (foul), Tate (foul), Pratley (foul), Rangel (dissent)
QPR: Kenny 8, Walker 7, Gorkss 7, Connolly 8, Hill 6, Derry 7, Faurlin 7, Ephraim 5 (Clarke 88, -), Taarabt 7 (Smith 80, 7),Helguson 6 (Agyemang 80, 6), Mackie 6
Subs Not Used: Orr, Cerny, Hall, Mahon
Booked: Gorkss (kicking ball away), Faurlin (foul), Taarabt (foul)
Head to Head >>> QPR wins 17 >>> Draws 11 >>> Swansea wins 10
2010/11 QPR 4 Swansea 0 (Taarabt 2, Mackie, Helguson)
2010/11 Swansea 0 QPR 0
2009/10 QPR 1 Swansea 1 (German)
2009/10 Swansea 2 QPR 0
2008/09 QPR 1 Swansea 0 (Leigertwood)
2008/09 Swansea 0 QPR 0
2004/05 QPR 3 Swansea 0** (Cureton, Rowlands, Gallen)
2001/02 Swansea 4 QPR 0*
1980/81 Swansea 1 QPR 2 (Langley, King)
1980/81 QPR 0 Swansea 0
1979/80 QPR 3 Swansea 2 (Goddard 2, C Allen)
1979/80 Swansea 1 QPR 2 (Burke, Stephenson og)
1978/79 QPR 2 Swansea 0 (McGee, Eastoe)
1966/67 Swansea 1 QPR 3 (Lazarus 3)
1966/67 QPR 4 Swansea 2 (L Allen 2, Marsh, Sanderson)
1966/67 Swansea 1 QPR 2** (Hazell, Keen)
1965/66 QPR 6 Swansea 2 (R Morgan 3, Colins 2, Lazarus)
1965/66 Swansea 4 QPR 2 (Collins, L Allen)
1962/63 Swansea 2 QPR 0*
1951/52 Swansea 2 QPR 3 (Gilberg, Hill, Addinall
1951/52 QPR 1 Swansea 1 (Smith)
1950/51 Swansea 1 QPR 0
1950/51 QPR 1 Swansea 1 (Addinall)
1949/50 Swansea 0 QPR 1 (Hudson)
1949/50 QPR 0 Swansea 0
1947/48 QPR 0 Swansea 0
1947/48 Swansea 3 QPR 1 (Durrant)
1924/25 Swansea 2 QPR 0
1924/25 QPR 0 Swansea 0
1923/24 QPR 2 Swansea 2 (Davis, Marsden)
1923/24 Swansea 2 QPR 0
1922/23 Swansea 3 QPR 0
1922/23 QPR 2 Swansea 1 (Davis, Chandler)
1921/22 Swansea 1 QPR 0
1921/22 QPR 1 Swansea 0 (Birch)
1920/21 QPR 1 Swansea 1 (Manning)
1920/21 Swansea 1 QPR 3 (Gregory, Birch, Manning)
1913/14 Swansea 1 QPR 2*
* - FA Cup
** - League Cup
Karl Connolly >>> QPR 2000-2003 >>> Swansea 2003-2004
A schoolboy at Tranmere Rovers, Karl Connolly was never offered an apprenticeship by the club and actually started his footballing career at Napoli. No not the Italian Serie A side made famous by Diego Maradona and Mars bars but the Warrington based Sunday League team. It was here he was spotted by Wrexham manager Bryan Flynn who was looking for a new left-winger. Still working in a chip-shop part time, Karl jumped at the chance of a signing for the Red Dragons, even if they had just finished the season in ninety second place only avoiding relegation due to a team already voluntarily leaving the league.<
He began life at the Racecourse as a left winger and was at the club for their famous FA Cup victory over First Division champions Arsenal. Later when Gary Bennett left the club, Connelly moved upfront to become the clubs main striker and gained cult status for the Welsh club: scoring nearly 100 goals in 350 games before moving on a free transfer to QPR in May 2000.
It wasn’t a happy debut season for Connolly though as he scored just five goals and was part of one of worst Rangers teams in recent times that ended the season relegated to the third tier. The following campaign Connolly was one of the few players who was still at QPR now under manager Ian Holloway and enjoyed a much more consistent season that saw a top-half finish for the club. His last act in a hoops shirt was a penalty miss in the infamous FA Cup defeat to Vauxhall Motors before leaving at the end of that season to join Swansea on a free transfer.
At The Vetchfield Connolly struggled to get into the first team and only made twelve appearances in a season in Wales before returning home to play for Prescot Cables and was last heard of at Newi Cefn Druids.
Connolly is always seems to be a player remembered in a strangely positive light by QPR fans, despite the fact that he was absolutely awful for most of his time with us. His chronic lack of pace (cliffs have been eroded faster) rendered him useless in the Championship and he barely held his own in the league below either. One of our worst modern day signings in my opinion.
Others >>> Wayne Routledge, Swansea 2011-present, QPR (loan) 2011, 2009-2010 >>> Scott Sinclair, Swansea 2010-present, QPR (loan) 2007 >>> Scott Donnelly, QPR 2004-2007, Swansea 2010-present >>> Paulo Sousa, Swansea (manager) 2009-2010, QPR (manager) 2008-2009 >>> Brian Murphy, Swansea 2003-2006, QPR 2011-present >>> Jordi Lopez, Swansea 2009-2011, QPR 2009 >>> Tommy Williams, QPR (loan) 2002-2003, (loan) 2003, (loan) 2009, Swansea 2006-2007 >>> Leon Knight, QPR (loan) 2001, Swansea 2006-2007 >>> Marcus Bean, QPR 2002-2006, Swansea (loan) 2005 >>> Kenny Jackett, QPR (coach) 2001-2004, Swansea (manager) 2004-2007 >>> John Hollins, QPR 1975-1977, QPR (coach) 1995-1998, Swansea (manager) 1998-2001 >>> Robbie James, Swansea 1973-1983, 1988-1990, QPR 1984-1987 >>> Leighton James, QPR 1977-1978, Swansea 1980-1983 >>> Jeremy Charles, Swansea 1976-1983, QPR 1983-1985
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