Andy Madley is in charge of QPR for the second time in his career as the R's head to Reading on Thursday evening.
Referee >>> Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire), fifth year as a Football League referee, joining his brother Robert on the list.
Assistants >>> Adrian Tranter (Dorset) and Adam Matthews (Gloucestershire)
Fourth Official >>> Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear), won QPR a point with a one-sided performance v Sheff Wed earlier this season.
QPR 0 Brighton 0, Wednesday September 18, 2013, Championship
Phillips fired over from range, Austin planted a firm header from a Barton corner smack on target only for visiting goalkeeper Thomasz Kuszczak to fling himself to his left and palm the ball aside with two hands. Three minutes before half time the former Burnley man hesitated over a free ball in the area believing himself to be offside, but referee Andy Madley — who on this evidence has an unhealthy love of farce and uncertainty — had ruled that the ball was played to him by a Brighton player and had Austin scored the goal would have counted.
With Keith Andrews the wind-up merchant in chief, Joey Barton a time bomb with a dodgy clock attached, and referee Andy Madley often showing the inexperience that comes with only being on the league list for two years the game became a frustrating watch in the first half, and almost American Football-like in the second when it was often reduced to a stoppage every minute and a designated kicker situation.
For several heart stopping minutes Barton sought out the referee for a further exchange of views at every stoppage of the game and QPR dispatched a member of staff to the dressing room to start running the taps. It took a fellow Scouser, Clint Hill, to forcibly wrestle Barton away into a quiet part of the penalty area while awaiting a Brighton throw for a "calm down, calm down” session lacking only fuzzy wigs and novelty moustaches to save the day. In the second half Madley pulled Barton up and halted a counter attack with an accusation that he’d handled the ball while controlling it — in actual fact it had come off the top of his shoulder. The volcanic temper grumbled and bubbled but failed to erupt.
QPR: R Green 6; D Simpson 6, R Dunne 7, N Onuoha 7 (B Assou-Ekotto, 23, 6), C Hill 7; K Henry 7 (J Jenas, 74, 4), J Barton 7; S Wright-Phillips 6, M Phillips 7 (A Traore, 80, -), G O'Neil 7; C Austin 5
Subs not used: A Faurlin, B Murphy, T Carroll, T Hitchcock
Bookings: Barton 34 (repetitive fouling)
Brighton: T Kuszczak 7, G Greer 6, M Upson 6, I Calderon 7, S Ward 6 (Bruno 80, -); A Crofts 6, K Andrews 6; J Caskey 6 (R Ince 85, -), D Lopez 6 (W Buckley 67, 6), C Conway 6; A Barnes 6
Subs not used: P Brezovan, A El-Abd, K Lua Lua, S March
Bookings: Calderon 71 (foul), Bruno 89 (foul)
Referee — Andy Madley (West Yorkshire) 5 A curate’s egg of a refereeing performance this one. Given the fouls he let go without a card — Andrews particularly fortunate — it was difficult not to conclude that a first half booking for Barton for two seemingly fair tackles was done more because of who he was rather than what had gone on. Went through long periods whistling for everything, then short bursts where several fouls were allowed to go. This created odd situations where the players seemed to think a free-for-all had been declared only to then find it was whistle and card time again. Odd.
Madley has shown 69 yellows and three reds in 21 appearances so far this season.Two of those reds came in his first three games of the season and the eight yellows he showed in Brentford's home defeat by Reading is his biggest haul. Last season he showed 105 yellows and three reds in 36 matches.
Championship >>> Kevin Friend drops down from the Premier League to keep an eye on the Burnley v Preston derby game.
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Pictures — Action Images