Just when all hope seems lost they go and pick up a win to keep the season alive.
Such is the way of things at Loftus Road these days our Bosh Times column often seems a lot nearer the truth than it really should be. For several weeks now Bosh has been comparing John Gregory to a vampire - just to steal a phrase from Anne Widdecombe for a moment (bet you never thought you'd read that in a QPR match report) he's got 'something of the night about him.' Like I say, sometimes that column goes a little closer to the truth than it should do. For the second time in three interviews Gregory was talking about slitting throats yesterday after a vital 3-1 win, and much improved performance against Burnley. "Burnley must have thought their throats were cut in the second half because we completely dominated them," said Gregory, just a week after previewing the Barnsley game by saying "if you get a chance to slit somebody's throat you've got to slit it." Nice. Hopefully what he meant was we need to start taking some of the chances we've been creating in the last few games, and thankfully the team finally did that this weekend scoring more than twice in a match for the first time in 16 matches. That was thanks in no small part to two home debutants Adam Bolder and Danny Cullip who exerted a massive influence over the team. Normally at this point I discuss who was in the team and where they played in the system, but that could be quite a challenge this week. In between the blood spilling fantasies John Gregory came up with an idea to halt his side's recent slump in form which apparently involved throwing ten Subbuteo players at a pitch from ten feet away and basing a system around where they landed, scattered across the surface. Stewart, Cullip and Mancienne started as a three centre half combination in front of Royce, Dexter Blackstock started alone in attack but everything in between was a bit difficult to pin down - fluid is probably the best way of describing it. Lomas and Bolder played in the middle of midfield protecting the back four, Timoska and Ainsworth played wide left and right, Cook and Rowlands played up top behind Blackstock. Jimmy Smith's poor form of late saw him dropped to the bench which was reassuring for me, I was starting to become a little suspicious about his constant selection regardless of performance. It's a formation Gregory worked with a lot at Aston Villa and it would seem he's pinning our survival hopes on it for the remaining games this season. Luckily Rangers found themselves facing a team in even worse form than themselves to test the new system out on. Burnley were without a win in ten games, and without a goal in six league outings. They had star performers Andy Gray and Steve Jones back on the bench after injury lay offs and they appeared in the second half but that was too little too late. They'll be ok once they're back at full strength, but they're fair game at the moment and were just the opponent QPR needed. Even my mate Mark left the members' bar at five to three confident we'd win - and you can count on one finger the amount of times that happens a season. When Mark says we're going to win, chances are we're going to win. Right from the first whistle it was clear to see what Gregory wants from Bolder and Cullip. The pair of them never shut up, Damion Stewart probably hasn't been lectured as much as he was yesterday since his last day at school. It wasn't the mad ranting style that Lomas seems to adapt when things are going against us either, it was calm, helpful advice and constructive criticism. The whole side looked a lot more organised and confident as a result. Damion Stewart clearly has the raw talent to be a very good defender at this level but he needs somebody like Cullip to show him the ropes and his game will come on in leaps and bounds if yesterday's match is anything to go by. It obviously took Rangers a while to settle into a foreign system and they were indebted to Sam Timoska for buying them some more time with a goal saving tackle in the third minute. A long ball into the area was nodded down by Akinbiyi to Alan Mahon who seemed certain to smash the ball home from six yards out but Timoska appeared from nowhere with an awesome covering challenge and clearance which earned him his second standing ovation from the Loftus Road faithful in as many games. The new look three pronged attack seemed to be struggling to find a way through Burnley's back line despite the hard work of Dexter Blackstock but in the thirteenth minute Adam Bolder provided a crucial cutting edge to put Rangers into the lead. Bolder intercepted a loose touch from Lafferty forty yards out from the QPR goal and stormed away towards the School End. Burnley couldn't get near him so he had the time to thread a perfect ball through the defence to Cook who carried the ball to the edge of the Burnley penalty area and then calmly placed a low shot across Pollitt and into the bottom corner. The one thing missing from Cook's game this season has been goals, but he's made up for that with an astonishing number of assists for others. The fear with moving him further infield is he'll have less chance to deliver those telling left wing crosses - if he's going to play behind Blackstock permanently he'll need to keep notching crucial goals like this. QPR still looked a little fragile though and within ten minutes of taking the lead they'd conceded one and had Simon Royce to thank for not shipping a second. Straight after the Cook goal went in Duff met O'Connor's corner with a powerful header that Royce did well to save two handed in the top corner. O'Connor's midfield partner Chris McCann made no mistake with a similar headed chance in the eighteenth minute. Burnley put together a fantastic four man passing move from the halfway line which finished with the perfect cross from Gudjohnson and McCann guiding a brilliant cushioned header into the bottom corner. Rangers were certainly a victim of their own system here - McCann was Ainsworth's man and had a free header to score. No doubt after a few weeks of playing in this formation mistakes and misunderstandings like this won't happen. Still, credit to Burnley a great move and well worked goal. Cullip seemed keen to take Gregory's throat slitting desires a little too literally and I'm not sure how he managed to get through the ninety minutes without thumping Ade Akinbiyi, in fact I'm surprised they made it out of the tunnel without having a punch up. Cullip spent the first twenty minutes roughing Akinbiyi up, pulling his ridiculous hair, knocking him around and winding him up. In the twentieth minute Cullip crashed through the back of him and conceded a free kick. Akinbiyi picked himself up and wagged his finger at Cullip and we waited for the fireworks to begin. But Cullip's job was done - Akinbiyi's role in the rest of the game was that of the conscientious objector. He looked terrified of Cullip, showed no interest in challenging him, offered no pass option to his team mates and did everything he could to avoid any further confrontation. This the big brave man who chased Marc Bircham off the pitch at Stoke a couple of seasons ago - a bottle job French armies throughout history would have been proud of. Burnley needn't bother washing his kit after this one. The confidence of the QPR players is obviously low at the moment and I feared the worst at this point. A collapse and team once again ending their bad run against QPR looked on the cards. Not so - Rangers kept trying, and kept playing their football and before half time Rowlands had tested Pollitt twice, once with a looping header and once with a low drive from twenty five yards that the loaned Wigan keeper claimed down by the post. Rowlands also fired miles over the bar with a first time snap shot volley from the edge of the box. Dexter Blackstock guided a header narrowly wide of the post and Rowlands came close to providing a goal with a cross to the back post which Ainsworth and Timoska both could have converted but eventually got in each others way. Bolder and Lomas completely dominated the midfield, a vitally important area with a talent like Mahon knocking around, and with Akinbiyi frantically hoisting a white flag under the threat of Cullip there was only one side in it going into the second half. The best effort Burnley had in the final twenty minutes of the first half came from Lafferty who cut in from the left flank and dragged a weak shot wide. QPR continued to impress at the start of the second half. Everything Burnley tried was either broken up by Bolder and Lomas, or handed back to them by the terrified Akinbiyi. Bolder and Lomas were calm in possession and had lots of options ahead of them with Ainsworth, Timoska, Rowlands, Cook and Blackstock all showing for every pass. Timoska, a centre half by trade, particularly impressed with an afternoon of tireless running down the left flank. His crossing let him down time and again but his all round performance was excellent again. Ainsworth fired wide from distance soon after the half time break, a warning shot across the bows for the visiting side as it turned out. Ten minutes into the second half they regained the lead, and the advantage could have been doubled within 60 seconds. Cook was involved in both incidents. First of all he sent an outswinging corner into the area and found Dexter Blackstock who powered an awesome header into the roof of the net from eight yards out. No keeper in the world would have saved Blackstock's header, it was an absolute screamer and no more than he deserved for another outstanding display. Playing the lone front man role in a struggling side is a tough job but Blackstock's work rate is such that he slipped into the job with ease. He didn't give John McGreal a moment's peace, won 90% of the ball in the air, worked his arse off for the whole match, and scored a terrific goal. Blackstock is a real fans' player because of the effort he puts in - it's tiring just watching him. Immediately after the goal a cross from the right was allowed to drop at the back post and Cook hooked an instinctive first time volley towards goal which zipped a foot over the bar. Pollitt didn't even know it had happened and would have had no chance if it had been on target. Steve Cotterill had seen enough and called for his big guns from the bench with 25 minutes left for play. Andy Gray is their top scorer with ten, Steve Jones is a former transfer target for QPR and loves a goal against the R's and Steven Caldwell was signed from Sunderland on deadline day. Clearly the two forwards were there to search for an equaliser because with Akinbiyi up front Burnley would no more have scored a second goal than flown to the moon on their team coach. Caldwell was probably sent out with instructions to try and quieten Blackstock's influence on the game - he failed. The substitutions made little impact and another marauding run down the wing from Timoska almost yielded a third goal. He made his way to the byline deep inside the area and only a poorly placed pull back prevented Rowlands getting a site on goal, Eventually Bolder's effort from the edge of the box was blocked. Nobody deserved a goal more than Bolder on the day. A third goal seemed inevitable and it looked set to go Blackstock's way when he miraculously fought his way round McGreal to meet Ainsworth's cross with a diving header that Pollitt scrambled round the post. From the corner, taken by Rowlands, Lomas rose unmarked in the six yard box and headed the third goal. Lomas, as he'd done against Palace at Loftus Road, celebrated with a mini lap of honour high fiving the fans on the front row of the Ellerslie Road stand. The final fifteen minutes consisted mainly of Rangers knocking the ball around without creating any further chances. Burnley forced a few corners as they tried to find a way back into the game - the only hairy moment came when a ball dropped at the near post but Cullip told Akinbiyi where to stand and he obliged which allowed Royce to come and claim. Gregory resisted making any substitutions which allowed the eleven players to finally enjoy a good reception from the fans after a rare win at Loftus Road. Blackstock and Bolder seemed particularly pumped up, celebrating in front of the Loft at full time. It was all very different to the tears and distraught players at the end of the Barnsley game. The second half was much more like what a QPR home match should be about. There was almost constant singing coming from the back of the F block and the team responded with a good, strong performance. Steve Lomas spoiled one of his best performances for the club a little with a late, and deserved, booking for kicking the ball away in the closing stages. With the transfer window now closed, and just sixteen games left to play this season, we're certainly now in the business end of the campaign. The situation at the bottom of the Championship means that we're effectively in a mini league of eight or nine sides, and QPR were the only one of those teams to win this weekend. Rangers' return to the relegation zone lasted just four days and where there seemed no hope of staying in this division after that game at Barnsley I now find myself immersed in fixture lists again trying to pick out six more wins that would give QPR a fighting chance of remaining in their current relatively lofty position of 19th. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very pessimistic about what the next couple of months holds for our team. This was only our ninth win of the season and we're going to need to do almost the same again in just 15 games but there was enough in the performance on Saturday to suggest that we're in with a fighting chance. However the new system and the new players have relit the fire for many supporters. Next Friday night against Southend will be a very interesting, and tense game now. Another performance like this and we'll surely avoid defeat but that consistency has been missing from QPR for two seasons now o I won't hold me breath. QPR: Royce 7, Cullip 8, Bolder 8, Ainsworth 7, Rowlands 7, Lomas 8, Cook 8, Stewart 7, Timoska 8, Blackstock 8, Mancienne 7 Burnley: Pollitt 7, Harley 6, McGreal 5, Duff 6, O'Connor 6, Mahon 7 (Jones 65, 6), McCann 7, Lafferty 5, Akinbiyi 3, Foster 6 (Caldwell 65, 6), Gudjonsson 7 (Gray 65, 6). QPR Star Man - Adam Bolder 8 Lots of candidates for the award this week for a change - Blackstock, Cook, Lomas, Cullip and Timoska were all outstanding, but Bolder slightly shades it for me for a fantastic performance at the heart of the midfield. In complete charge of the game and his team mates throughout - excellent performance. On this evidence I may well have undersold him by describing him as "Bircham with a bit more pace" a week ago. Referee: Dermot Gallagher 9 (Oxfordshire) - A shoe in for referee of the year again. The likes of Probert, Styles, Foy, Kettle and others should really come and watch some of his games to see how it's done. Never more than five yards away from a decision, quick whistle and the game is back underway. You barely notice him and the game is allowed to flow properly. One card, which Lomas deserved. Brilliant performance, and much needed after the incompetent garbage we've suffered over the past few games. Attendance: 10, 811
Subs not used: Cole, Rehman, Nygaard, Jones, Smith.
Scorers: Cook 13, Blackstock 55, Lomas 72
Bookings: Lomas 89
Subs not used: Coyne, Elliott.
Scorers: McCann 18