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Green’s heroics preserve win for spirited QPR — report
Thursday, 27th Mar 2014 01:04 by Clive Whittingham

Goalkeeper Rob Green was the star of the show as improving QPR beat fellow promotion chasers Wigan Athletic 1-0 at Loftus Road on Tuesday night.

A bit of grit, a bit of determination, a bit of luck, a moment or two of real genuine quality… there was almost an atmosphere inside Loftus Road at one point as well. Perhaps this taxing 2013/14 campaign will have a happy ending for Queens Park Rangers after all.

A week ago at Sheffield Wednesday the R’s looked like a side happy to give up the ghost — meekly surrendering to a three goal defeat against a mediocre side after drowning in a sea of their own laziness and sense of perceived injustice. But Harry Redknapp and his players have responded with two hard fought victories on the spin to lift themselves back into third place.

On another night, with another goalkeeper, Rangers could easily have lost by two or three clear goals to a fast, fluid, physical Wigan side. On this evidence The Latics will make awkward play-off opponents for whoever is unfortunate enough to be paired with them in the end of season knock-out, but at the business end of a promotion campaign there’s more to be said for finding a way to grind out a victory through adversity than gallantly losing while playing well.

QPR were aided in their quest for only a second home win against a top six side this season by tireless, if at times slightly unorthodox, shifts from unlikely sources not usually associated with such commitment and graft.

Despite Bobby Zamora clearly showing since Christmas that he can be useful as a second half substitute but totally detrimental to his own team when played from the start, Redknapp chose to throw the veteran front man back into the line up for this game after his bizarre goal at Middlesbrough on Saturday. Zamora was limping with the time still in single figures, and at times showed the game management, decision making and touch of a wild horse who’s gone a bit simple through old age, but he produced a valuable 90 minute turn for his team.

Yossi Benayoun, rightly branded a gratuitous signing from a club that never learns from its previous mistakes and has far more money than sense, suddenly produced his best performance all year as part of a supporting cast of three behind Zamora. Looking and behaving like a rough woman in a seedy nightclub, he tirelessly chased the Wigan men around all evening, ultimately paying the price for his persistence and efforts with a tired tackle that brought a late red card, but by then his work was well done at both ends of the field.

It was the veteran Israeli international who scored the only goal of the game, poking home from close range to finish a slick move from a cleared corner that included a neat reverse pass from Little Tom Carroll and an outrageous, Brazilian-like back heeled assisted from Clint Hill.

And what of Wee Little Tom? For so long the bullied schoolboy at the heart of the QPR midfield, on a different wavelength from team mates and singled out by a hostile crowd for harsh treatment, here he guided QPR around the park with his usual range of clever passing, and added a previously unseen defensive niggle to his game into the bargain. But for a nightmare ten minutes during the second half, this was his best game for Rangers.

It would all have been in vain but for the exceptional efforts of goalkeeper Robert Green. The former West Ham man was out injured at Hillsborough, replaced by occasional goalkeeper Brian Murphy who warned his team mates on the club’s London Call In show last Thursday that they “don’t want to be going into the last couple of games requiring three or four wins.” Rightchyar Brian. Now fit and recalled, Green made five saves of genuine quality in the second half to preserve a league-leading seventeenth clean sheet of the campaign and leave visiting boss Uwe Rosler tipping a surprise England recall.

He was called into action for the first time after 23 minutes, thrusting two strong hands up above his head to repel a powerful near post shot from Perch after excellent approach work from first Nick Powell and then Jack Collison — two Premier League loanees showing their quality in the Wigan attack.

You’d have expected Green to save that, and a two handed parry at full stretch from Powell four minutes later, and indeed a leg save from James McClean when he skipped into the are but selfishly chose to shoot at the near post when there were options available for a pass. He rode his luck at times as well, dropping on one loose ball in his six yard box after Rangers had allowed McClean to control and turn on a long throw inside the six yard box, then claiming at the feet of Perch as he attempted to slide in and convert a half chance after Clint Hill took a risk and tried to shepherd a ball back to his keeper, and finally seeing a shot from McClean fly all the way across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick on the stroke of half time.

The QPR keeper was over worked and required excellent concentration and footwork to complete his duties. Wigan looked lively in attack — particularly Manchester United’s Powell: a leggy, muscular presence up front with an immaculate touch and all round game far beyond that of any other visiting striker we’ve seen at Loftus Road this season. There’s a swaggering quality about him and given the carnage and panic at Old Trafford one wonders if a shrewd magpie has, Paul Pogba style, spotted a shiny trinket amid the wreckage ripe for a crafty bid at a desperate time for his parent club. They were, however, aided and abetted by QPR’s offside trap which creaked like a rusty gate all night.

On Saturday at Middlesbrough Rangers looked strong at the back, with Clint Hill and Nedum Onuoha impressing as a centre half pairing and South Korean Yun Suk-Young turning in a man of the match performance at left back. There was some pace about that back line, and so it seemed strange against a far better and quicker attacking outfit than Middlesbrough to change it back and bring Dunne into the team following his suspension.

The switch meant Rangers suffered in two departments. Firstly, Dunne repeatedly played James McClean and others onside throughout the first half, creating numerous dangerous situations that only poor finishing and the form of Rob Green prevented from turning into goals. Secondly, I lost count of the amount of times Rangers looked for an overlapping option wide left only to see empty space out there. That wasn’t Clint Hill’s fault necessarily — you have to pick your battles at his age — but it meant we missed the runs we saw from Suk-Young at the Riverside on Saturday. In the second half, during a backs to the wall effort when Rangers sat deep as a whole team, Dunne boosted his rating with typical headers and clearances aplenty, but he’s looked for a while like a man who needs more rest than the one game suspension he served at the weekend and it didn’t make much sense to bring him back from the start here in my opinion.

Wigan had another gear to move into after half time as it turned out. The first ten minutes of the second period were frightening, with the visitors bombarding the QPR penalty box right from the off. Rangers were unable to live with the increased tempo and an early cross to the near post gave James McArthur a chance to bundle one home but Aaron Hughes got something on it and the ball bobbled wide. Then the keeper was swiftly off his line to deny McClean in a one on one situation. He could do little about Ramis’ header off the bar from the third of three consecutive Wigan corners but was more than equal to an injury time header from Wigan substitute Nicky Maynard which he flung himself off to his left to palm wide with hearts in mouths all around the ground. A superb save that, easily his best of the season so far.

Maynard was one of three second half substitutions made by Rosler with Jean Beausejour replacing Stephen Crainey after an hour and Jordi Gomez coming on for defender Tom Rogne ten minutes later. Wigan already looked fitter and faster than Rangers before that and the two sides only got further apart in that respect as the half wore on. Harry Redknapp, forced to remove the distinctly average Niko Kranjcar at half time due to a hamstring complaint - Gary O’Neil the replacement - was indecisive by comparison. Loaned striker Will Keane was called back to the bench and sent away again, Junior Hoilett was prepped at one stage but told to sit down, while Karl Henry got stripped and ready for action only to be told to get dressed again only to be told to come on after all — he replaced the injured Joey Barton eventually with just six minutes left to play. QPR looked like they were crying out for fresh legs and lungs long before that.

It didn’t help that Ravel Morrison went from the sublime to the sulky in the second half. He’d started the game in fine fashion, gliding effortlessly past challenges and combining beautifully with Carroll through the heart of the team. There were barely two minutes on the clock when he found Bobby Zamora with an exceptional pass into the penalty area and he would have had a spot kick for an obvious foul by Rogne had he not, rather harshly, been flagged offside first. Later he scuffed a shot at keeper Ali Al-Habsi after being fed in by Carroll, and was then involved in a slick move when he carried the ball past two players and fed Zamora whose touch off was hit at Al-Habsi by Kranjcar.

But as the game wore on his frustration grew. Referee Simon Hooper, superb on his last visit here for the game against Huddersfield, followed a very decent first half display with a mad half hour in the second that turned Morrison from QPR’s chief attacking threat into a red card waiting to happen. First there was a nasty tackle from McClean on Carroll that should have brought a yellow card but didn’t, then there was an obvious foul on Morrison on the edge of the Wigan area that didn’t even bring a free kick. When Powell was then awarded a free kick when he’d appeared to dive under challenge from Barton, and then a promising looking counter attack from Benayoun was hauled all the way back for a QPR free kick they didn’t want, so McArthur could be booked, frustration was audible and Morrison let the situation get the better of him.

Several times he could be seen beating the turf in frustration, and he started diving trying to win free kicks that weren’t fouls. There was a set to with Josh McEachran, who he has played with in the England Under 21s, that required intervention and another incident where he appeared to kick out at a Wigan man while on the ground. Had the referee seen that he could well have been off, but then so could Ramis who lashed out at Benayoun while trying to retrieve the ball for a late free kick. In the end Hooper settled for a yellow card for the QPR man on that occasion which would have bad consequences later on. At full time Morrison appeared to run onto the field and have words with McEachran again.

It’s behaviour and attitude that have brought such a talented player to QPR rather than a Premier League side and in almost every respect Rangers have found themselves Adel Taarabt, who we thought was a once in a generation talent, all over again. Morrison walked through the second half, either knackered or sulking or both, and Rangers really needed more from him in that situation. That said, a spectacular free kick 19 minutes from time that beat Al-Habsi but bounced down and back into play off the underside of the bar was absolutely exceptional and the only bigger shame than it staying out was Zamora’s pathetic follow up which he should have scored but actually fell over.

Still, Morrsion’s team mates had plenty of fight about them. Their aversion to scoring goals shone through when Zamora checked back and looked for a regressive pass rather than getting a shot away when played through on goal on his favoured left side just before the hour, but there were more positives than negatives for the R’s in this game and Clint Hill’s expert sliding tackle denied McClean a certain equaliser with 15 minutes left for play after the former Sunderland winger had twisted Dunne into the ground.

Although Redknapp did eventually send on Henry and Suk-Young — and both made valuable contributions during their brief cameos — it still wasn’t enough to stem the tide or the onset of tiredness. Benayoun, who’d been excellent all night, committed one of those deliberate trips against an attacker at full pace in injury time to earn a second yellow and a red.

Morrison got his inevitable yellow for a robust foul on Gomez with four left to play.
The extra space afforded Maynard his injury time opportunity, but Green was equal to that and everything else the Latics threw at him and the Loft End sang the goalkeeper’s name when full time finally did arrive after a torturous four added minutes.

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QPR: Green 8; Hughes 6, Onuoha 7, Dunne 6, Hill 6; Carroll 7, Barton 6; Kranjcar 5 (O’Neil 45, 6), Morrison 6, Benayoun 7; Zamora 6

Subs not used: Simpson, Keane, Hoilett, Murphy

Goals: Benayoun 16 (assisted Carroll/Hill)

Red Cards: Benayoun 90+1 (two bookings — one match ban)

Bookings: Benayoun 81 (kicking ball away), Morrison 86 (foul), Benayoun 90+1 (foul)

Wigan: Al-Habsi 6; Crainey 6 (Beausejour 61, 6), Ramis 7, Rogne 6 (Gomez 73, 6), Kiernan 6; Perch 6, McEachran 6 (Maynard 80, 5), McArthur 7, Collison 6; McClean 7, Powell 7

Subs not used: Carson, Caldwell, Fortune, Waghorn

Bookings: McArthur 71 (foul)

QPR Star Man — Robert Green 8 I’d have loved to have given this to either Carroll or Benayoun, who worked so hard and were the pick of QPR’s outfield players, but Green has to take it for an invaluable clean sheet and series of flying second half saves.

Referee — Simon Hooper (Wiltshire) 6 A really excellent first half, as we’re coming to expect from this referee, gave way to an awkward second where he struggled to keep hold of things at times. Ravel Morrison’s behaviour in the second period was poor, but the frustration stemmed from not being awarded a couple of early free kicks for definite fouls — clearly the referee was sick of hearing the cry of wolf from a player who does go down too easily. I thought McClean should have been booked for his foul on Carroll, particularly when you see the incident with Benayoun’s second yellow. Overall not too bad, but a bit of a wild 20 minute spell in the second half.

Attendance — 14,649 (180 Wigan approx) A night that stirred some memories of similar midweek successes against Preston in John Gregory’s time, and Birmingham during a Gareth Ainsworth caretaker stint. Nowhere near those two for atmosphere hee, but a whole lot better than it has been, particularly towards the end of the game.

The Twitter @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images



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Kaos_Agent added 02:22 - Mar 27
Clive, very nice report on an entertaining game. Watched it streaming with no commentary, only crowd noise, which seemed to be positive and sustained. COYRs. Enjoyed that.

My only visit to an R's home game happened to be last year's Wigan game. I missed Remy's wondrous goal due to poor viewing angle in R Block, but had a perfect view of Maloney's free kick goal at the end. Sigh. The stars were lined up again for that in this game. What a relief when it sailed high.
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londonscottish added 07:16 - Mar 27
Great report Clive. I'd forgotten about that kick given when Benayoun was clear on goal.

Agree with the Morrison/Taarabt comparison. Love watching what Morrison can come up with.
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PunteR added 07:49 - Mar 27
Now that,was a great bit of writing!..
"looking and behaving like a rough woman in a seedy nightclub"made me laugh!
I hope we're starting to build a bit of momentum for the playoffs.A trip to Wembley would cap off a surreal/ weird season.
Cheers Clive.
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probbo added 08:29 - Mar 27
Thanks for the report Clive.

With all the chopping and changing to the team each match its a slight concern that Redknapp still doesn't appear to know his 'best' team but credit must be given for this win against one of the form teams in the Championship. I'll dare to entertain the thought that we can still finish second but playoffs look most likely and hopefully a trip to Wembley.
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Northernr added 08:51 - Mar 27
Probbo - I'm not so bothered about the personnel changing as the shape. Through January we were playing a totally different system every game. Relieved to see he's gone back to 4231 which is the one that suits our players best.
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Marshy added 08:52 - Mar 27
A great game not necessarily in terms of quality, but generally a tenacious display with the resolve to see the match through without surrender, and be rewarded with the 3 points. An invaluable win.

The second half was very tense from start to finish as the 1-0 advantage was very fragile, but along with a little luck our defence stood firm. The goal was sheer class. One of our very best this season. The great save by Robert Green right at the end effectively won us the match. Apart from Greeno I wouldn't say there was any particular stand out player for me over the whole 90 minutes, but this was without doubt a very good team effort all round.

Hopefully we can keep the momentum going with the visit of Blackpool on Saturday.
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francisbowles added 09:05 - Mar 27
I am continuously amazed by the detail of your reports. How you see everything from a seat in LR, remember it, analyse it and write it in your unique, honest and very entertaining style, is beyond me. Reading your reports is something like watching the match all over again but seeing some of the things that you didn't take in first time.

THANK YOU

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Tomo_5 added 09:20 - Mar 27
I can't help feeling like this season is taking more out of me than any other. Years gone by we've been rubbish, great, lost, found and a laughing stock. There is always adversity from one angle or another. If we're playing well on the pitch we're a joke off it and vice-versa.
This year leaves me scratching my head wondering what goes on behind the scenes to think that we have to keep on messing with the team. Dunne is a guy that I like but wouldn't play twice a week, i want to see more of the younger Suk-Young for example. Experience is one thing but speed and capability to track the faster and younger forwards is another and we're a bit overloaded with experience and lacking speed in especially in central defense. I wonder if Bondy would select the same team? Harry thinks kevin Keegan is young so I'm a bit lost thinking that if we did overcome Wigan in the playoffs (unlikely I'm sorry to say) then we'd be just rebuilding 75% of the team again which doesn't bode well for survival.
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CiderwithRsie added 09:55 - Mar 27
"the game management, decision making and touch of a wild horse who’s gone a bit simple through old age,"

"Looking and behaving like a rough woman in a seedy nightclub, he tirelessly chased the Wigan men around all evening,"

Just brilliant
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timcocking added 11:40 - Mar 27
'Looking and behaving like a rough woman in a seedy nightclub' lmfao
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timcocking added 11:47 - Mar 27
Poor (non-existent) man-management to drop Yun after his mom week before.
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Antti_Heinola added 12:18 - Mar 27
Completely agree about Yun - a baffling decision that easily could have cost us and totally sends the wrong message to Yun - and everyone else. If dunne had been outstanding recently, i could understand it, but he hasn't.
Glad to see Clive agrees with me about Zamora's performance, which was comically over-praised on the forum.
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westsurreyR added 12:43 - Mar 27
The best goal I've seen us score this season - although admittedly I don't get to every game. It was only when I watched the 60 seconds on YouTube afterwards that I saw Clint Hill's back heel. Magic!

However, as you say Clive it was a moment of real quality and understanding that we didn't really repeat - although everyone worked hard. And although Ravel Morrison faded badly - and is as you say very like Tarrabt - we desperately need someone like that. As soon as he starts running at defenders they are back- pedalling and being pulled out of position, which creates space for others to exploit. I think he is a potential match winner in every game provided he can maintain his focus and confidence.

I am still concerned about all the chopping and changing of players. I did a tot up and that was the 33rd different combination used in midfield and up front out of our 38 league games. It cannot be possible for players to develop real understanding with each other in that situation.

Mind you a lot of it is down to injuries. When you look at the decline at Nottingham Forest, whose injury crisis is similar to ours, you could argue that Harry has done an excellent job recruiting players at short notice to keep us as high as third.

Beating a top six team was a big plus at this stage - and if players regain fitness and Morrison is on his game I don't see why going up via the play-offs should be impossible.
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Imelda added 13:03 - Mar 27
The two references to the senile wild horse and the rough woman in a nightclub made me laugh out loud -thank you!

And Clive, when are you going to write that book...??
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HastingsRanger added 13:26 - Mar 27
Wigan were well drilled and good to watch. To compete with that has to be by team work and graft and for once that was really evident. I thought it was great that Clint Hill got the recognition of his goal with the chant 'Clint Hill, Clint Hill, it's just like watching Clint Hill!'.

Interesting point on the Zamora trip early on, as he didn't look offside to me though my view was behind the School End goal (close but not in line) and a penalty and sending off would clearly have affected the game.

I guess the dilemma with Dunne was the dominance in the area versus his lack of speed outside. Risky against Wigan but a shame for Yun, as said elsewhere, especially as he has age on his side.

Annoyed at Morrison being hauled over but Gomez collapses and gets a free kick, which could have cost us the game. Defenders did very well at the end not to give away more as there was plenty of coaxing going on.

Tough game which we did well to win, especially as the play-off candidates all had a slump.
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colsson added 10:10 - Mar 28
Another great report on one of the more memorable games at Loftus Rd this season. It is still a mystery how Wigan did not score - a combination of some fine tackles, great saves, poor finishing and a lot of luck - and chances are that had they done we would have ended up losing the game and had Wigan breathing down our necks.

I don't fully agree with the comments about LTC. Agree it was one of his best games but he does seem to freeze when in sight of goal. He had one clear shot, one of the few I can remember all season, that went straight at the goalkeeper when there was time and space to go for the far post. Another time he was in acres of space with the goal beckoning and all he did was his tradmark 360 degree turn giving time for defendrs to close him down and the chance went abegging.

Shame Barton doesn't get a mention as he put himself about all over the pitch (without getting a yelleo card for once). There was a 5-10 spell in the second half where he stood up to Wigan players in full flow three times and came away with the ball each time. He also made a few timely tackles in and around the box.

Let's hope for more of the same Sat though who knows which combination of players will start?

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TacticalR added 20:09 - Mar 28
A very enjoyable, gritty performance against a powerful Wigan side. However, you're right to point out that things could have gone very differently, especially as bodies were being thrown in front of shots and last ditch tackles were being made. It's also possible that we benefitted from Rosler trying to conserve the energy some of his big name players, as Beausejour and Jordi Gómez were not brought on until the end of the game.

Carroll. It was interesting to compare Carroll and McEachran as they seem to me similar players. I thought Carroll the more effective as he was supplying the front players, whereas McEachran had a deeper role and didn't get forward enough to hurt us. As colsson pointed out, Carroll doesn't like to shoot for some reason - perhaps he just doesn't have a decent shot.

Hill. Fantastic bit of skill from Clint to lay on Benayoun's goal.

Kranjčar. It's a real shame he hasn't got his due because it was his first time pass that got Carroll away in the lead up to the goal (unfortunately he's hidden by the gantry in the video). We definitely missed his stabilising influence in the second half.

Morrison and Barton. Barton put a hell of a defensive shift, and Morrison carried the ball into attack time and again.

Benayoun and Zamora. It was not inspiring to see Zamora starting, as he's generally not been able to last half a match. However he really did keep going the whole game, making up in effort for some occasional lapses in skill. Benayoun must be quite an athlete to cover the ground he does at the speed he does at age 33. Away at Middlesbrough at one moment he was covering the right-back position and the next he was scoring a goal. Covering so much ground and haven't no clear position shouldn't work, but it seems to. Let's hear it for the over-the-hill mercenaries!
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