Another dull and lifeless encounter involving QPR produced just the five goals this week and another three points for John Gregory's side.
Amid the mad ramblings of a sour faced sexist there was a football match taking place yesterday - one that QPR won and won well. Not that you'd know it from the coverage the game has received today. Even ITV dubbed a commentary over the top of their highlights to draw attention to what was apparently the issue of the day: "ooh Mike Newell doesn't seem happy with the decision by female linesman Amy Rayner there." Of course that was what everybody thought at the time and it's understandable that a commentator might name check a linesman and talk about a manager's half hearted appeals against the decision. My arse. It's like that bloody Arsenal game all over again. I was there when Jensen scored. And Gallen, and Allen and Impey - but you'd never know we'd won that one from the coverage it got. Even the Observer handed the report of the game over to a bitter Luton fan who made out like the home side had played like the great Brazilian side of 1970 and QPR had held them at gun point and forced them to concede three goals upon fear of death. Still in a way it's been fun watching Newell repeatedly punching the self destruct button since QPR "stole two goals from the first two corners of the second half, both of which were dubious decisions, and left with all three points in their back pocket" - Simon Pitts, Observer. Chances are his mood has more to do with Luton's recent form than anything the poor woman on the line did yesterday. Luton had lost their last four games before Saturday, conceding 14 goals without reply in the process. They've free fallen from fifth place to the bottom half of the table and suddenly Newell's looking like the manager that took table topping Hartlepool and nearly blew their promotion chances altogether rather than the media darling of the past two seasons. Shame that. He dropped former QPR midfielder Richard Langley from his squad altogether on Saturday and was forced to field rooky goal keeper Dean Brill after Marlon Beresford's appeal that his sending off at Preston was wrong because "it's a stupid rule anyway" was treated with the contempt it deserved. QPR had their own suspension problem. Reinvigorated midfielder Steve Lomas sat out after collecting five bookings. Marc Bircham wasn't fit enough to replace him so Stefan Bailey returned to the midfield for the first time since the Southampton win. Marc Nygaard was recalled to the attack in place of Kevin Gallen. Both went on to have superb matches. Marcus Bignot continued the trend of players transfer listed by Gary Waddock and since given the captain's armband. Rangers started well and in the opening minute Lee Cook cut in from the left and made it to the edge of the area before being chopped down. He curled the resulting free kick over the bar and into the away end himself. Stefan Bailey hammered a long range effort onto the roof of the stand inside the opening five minutes but soon Rangers were on the back foot and under pressure. After 13 minutes Adam Boyd exploited space down the Rangers left and hammered a low cross shot into the area which narrowly eluded Rowan Vine and went out for a goal kick. Three minutes later the first of two very strong appeals for a Luton penalty was waved away by referee Andy D'Urso. A long ball from Heikkinen was flicked on by Vine and Brkovic raced through on goal. Stewart chased him all the way and as Brkovic approached the penalty spot the big Jamaican appeared to wrestle him to the floor but the appeals fell on deaf ears. Rangers were lucky to escape with the deadlock intact with D'Urso well known for questionable decisions against QPR. On the very next attack the referee again showed no interest when almost everybody else in the ground was expecting a penalty to be awarded. Lewis Emanuel sent a low cross in from the left and with Stewart and Rehman nowhere to be seen Carlos Edwards seemed all set to tap in at the back post. Marcus Bignot came across to cover and bundled the Trinidad international to the floor allowing the ball to pass through the six yard box and away. Again the complaints were dismissed. I'd have been furious if QPR had similar appeals turned down - they both looked fairly nailed on penalties from where I was. Luton were pouring forward at every opportunity, looking to end their four game scoreless run, but the found Simon Royce in commanding form in the QPR goal. Despite being battered for 20 minutes QPR held out and unbelievably took the lead against the run of play. Gareth Ainsworth's hard work and persistence won a free kick from Brkovic down the Rangers right flank. Lee Cook trotted across from the left to swing a trademark ball into the six yard box where Jimmy Smith bundled the ball into the net. The goal changed the pattern of play completely and suddenly it was QPR creating chances and looking threatening. Marc Nygaard and Dexter Blackstock were both working incredibly hard for the team and both had half chances blocked away for corners in the run up to half time. The pair also combined to set up Smith for a twenty yard effort that was blocked away. Lee Cook sent a delicious cross in from the left in the fortieth minute but it was allowed to flash all the way across the face of the goal without getting a touch. At the very least it looked like QPR might get into the break without conceding for the first time in eight matches but it wasn't to be. The rickety defence collapsed in stoppage time, and it all came from a throw in on the halfway line. Rangers failed to react to the ball going dead ad Carlos Edwards launched a long throw into the acres of grass behind the defence. Vine raced onto the ball, cut it back from the by line and a similarly unmarked Adam Boyd volleyed home his first Luton league goal with consummate ease. Rangers were caught out time and again by Edwards long throws down the line all afternoon - Rehman in particular seemed to forget he had a long throw and allow Vine to run in behind him constantly. If I didn't know better I'd swear he was trying to play him offside from throw ins. That's certainly what Marcus Bignot seemed to be implying when he administered a bollocking for a similar offence in the second half. As if that wasn't bad enough QPR managed to fall behind before the half time whistle was blown. D'Urso inexplicably played four minutes of added time, despite the lack of a physio on the field at any point during the first half, and during that time Rangers failed to clear a corner and Brkovic headed into the bottom corner under minimal challenge. John Gregory just stood and shook his head - it was hard to believe Rangers had blown it in such spectacular circumstances. Still Rangers are never more dangerous than when they're losing at half time. As one of our resident tipsters Anthony Harris has discovered the 'opposition half time, QPR full time' bet is a tremendous investment at the moment and sure enough within nine minutes of the restart the R's had turned it round. It took just six minutes for QPR to draw level - again Cook was the provider. His inswinging corner from the right flank caused havoc in the six yard box and Heikkinen headed the ball into the bottom corner of his own net. Lewis Emanuel argued that the original decision to award a corner was wrong but there were no mass protests as Newell would have you believe. Three minutes later Jimmy Smith turned provider from a corner on the opposite side - Marc Nygaard stretched full length to flick the ball on at the near post and with Luton at sixes and sevens Dexter Blackstock slammed home the goal his hard work deserved so much. In a physical encounter Nygaard's inclusion proved to be a very shrewd move. He had one his best games in a QPR shirt - working tirelessly, battling away with non of the injury feigning histrionics of the Leicester game and even several spectacular long range passes out to Ainsworth from the midfield area. Blackstock put in his usual shift of lung busting running and effort alongside him and the two combined well for the third goal. The pair of them deserve a huge amount of credit for their performances. Nygaard actually turned into a makeshift centre half for the final half hour of the game and acquitted himself well. Winning headers and executing clearances alongside Damion Stewart who was vastly improved from the first half, and Zesh Rehman who remained a bit of a nervous wreck. Stewart flung himself into a number of last ditch blocks as Luton pushed for an equaliser, as did Mancienne who had his best game for the club so far at right back. Someone else having his best game for the club was Stefan Bailey. He powered around the middle of the park putting in thumping challenges and displaying a passing game we haven't seen from him before. As Rangers were clinging on at the end he flew into another big hit by the corner flag before jumping up and revving the away end up with a fist salute. He was really into the game right from the off and in terrific form. Luton's best chance for an equaliser came after 66 minutes when Brkovic's teasing cross from the left eluded the entire QPR defence and found Carlos Edwards unmarked at the back post. Luckily for the visitors Edwards smashed a half volley into the turf and it bounced up and over the bar with Royce beaten. Ten minutes later Boyd sprung the offside trap and made it into the six yard box but delayed and delayed trying to get Rehman to commit himself to a sliding tackle and ultimately Zesh got back and blocked the ball away for a corner. Luton forced numerous set pieces and long throws but with Nygaard back to help out the defence Rangers looked far more secure than they have done in recent weeks and held out. They even came close to extending their lead when Jimmy Smith won a free kick on the edge of the area and curled it an inch wide of the post himself. Kevin Gallen was introduced for the shattered Blackstock but he soon had to come back off when he picked up a knock - Gallen had spent the second half engaged in a less than strenuous warm up exercise that included leaning on the stand and watching the game while engaging in banter with the fans in the away end. Hopefully this lack of stretching hasn't cost him another lay off just three goals away from his century for the club. Luton continued to hack long balls into the area but their chance had gone and Royce commanded his area well as time finally ticked away to full time. Two consecutive wins for Rangers then, and vital wins too at a time when Hull, Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and others around them are all picking up points as well. Cardiff on Friday may look a lost cause, especially with the TV cameras and all the history they bring to QPR games, but Rangers do score goals and may well cause problems on Friday if they can just bring themselves to keep it tight at the back for a full 90 minutes - there were signs of improvement on that front on Saturday. Luton: Brill 5, Foley 5, Barnett 5, Heikkinen 6, Emanuel 7, Edwards 7, Robinson 6 (Morgan 85, -), Bell 6, Brkovic 7, Vine 7 (Feeney 85, -), Boyd 7. QPR: Royce 7, Mancienne 7, Rehman 5, Stewart 7, Bignot 6, Ainsworth 6,Bailey 8, Smith 8, Cook 7, Blackstock 8 (Gallen 80, - (Ward 90, -)), Nygaard 8 Attendance: 9,007 QPR Star Man - Stefan Bailey 8 - A really tough one this week and I almost gave it to Nygaard or Blackstock for their tireless and skilful displays in attack, but for me Stefan was so impressive. Solid in the tackle and economical in possession he worked his nuts off and anchored the midfield brilliantly from first to last. A great display, probably his best for the club in my opinion. Ref: A D'Urso (Essex) 5 - Kept his cards in his pocket which makes a welcome change, and tried to allow the game to flow however at least one of the two first half incidents should have resulted in a Luton penalty and where all that stoppage time came from at the end of the first half only he knows.
Subs Not Used: Barrett, Perrett, Holmes.
Goals: Brkovic 45, Boyd 45.
Subs Not Used: Paul Jones, Milanese, Baidoo.
Booked: Blackstock.
Goals: Smith 33, Heikkinen 51 og, Blackstock 54.