Coventry City v. QPR (22 Jan: Championship - Match 30) [R]

[Atouk]

Coventry City -- 20th, 29 games, 32 points
v.
QPR -- 11th, 29 games, 40 points
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22 January 2005 15:00
Highfield Road
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Bircham is still out. Santos stays in a d-mid role while on-loan Davies partners Shittu, who has been passed fit after being a doubt with an illness this week, in central defense.

Royce gets another start. Rowlands and Bignot on the bench; Rose not yet fit enough to start.

Our XI:

Royce; Padula, Davies, Shittu, Edghill; Cook, Santos, Gallen, Ainsworth; Furlong, Cureton

Bench:

Day, Bignot, Thorpe, Rowlands, Rose

[Atouk]

We're underway. R's are wearing the green and white hoops.

[Atouk]

Coventry leads the series 38-25-32. Rangers won the first meeting this season, 4-1, at Loftus Road in September. That was the first meeting between the clubs since the 95/96 Premier League season.

Mark Clattenburg is the referee today. After working exclusively at lower levels last season, he's primarily a Premiership ref this year, 12 of his 18 games this season have come at that level (3 Championship, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 League One). Clattenburg worked our promotion-clinching victory at Sheffield United last season.

So far, Shittu and Gallen have made some nice plays, with Big Dan shutting off a challenge with a well-timed tackle. Gallen, likewise, tracked back to cut off a Coventry break when Cook turned the ball over.

Neither side is getting on top in the first 10 minutes, with barely two passes put together by each side.

Ainsworth shot from 20 yards straight at the keeper. Not much else thus far.

[Atouk]

Furlong was six yards out with back to goal holding off his man. He layed it off to an open Cureton who fired it home from eight or nine yards out! Goal Rangers!!!!

Coventry 0-1 QPR

[Atouk]

Andrew Davies in the book for the R's.

[Atouk]

Coventry 0-1 QPR
HALF TIME

[doolittledog2]

Come on you RRR's...you need to get a second goal quick...I have to take the wife and children out shopping within the hour so won't be able to listen to the finish...so get a second quick so I can have some peace of mind while shopping.

[Atouk]

Change at the half for Coventry -- Neil Wood out, Dele Adebola on.

No changes for the R's.

We're a few minutes into the second half.

[Atouk]

Coventry equalized on a 10-yard header. Ouch.

R's have looked the better, but Coventry equalizes out of nothing. Come on, you R's!

Coventry 1-1 QPR

[Atouk]

Gallen goes in the book.

A few minutes later, Ainsworth and Coventry's McSheffrey got into it. Both earned yellows.

[Atouk]

Rowlands and Thorpe on for Rangers replacing Ainsworth and Cureton in the 81st.

Then, Bignot on for Padula; Edghill to left back.

Louis Carey got a late card for Coventry.

In the last couple of minutes of regular time, Edghill takes a freekick from around the halfway line, Santos flicks it toward goal and past the keeper. The referee said it went across the line. Coventry is disputing it. But the referee gives the goal! GOOOOAAAAAL Santos!! GOOOOAAAAAL Rangers!!

The commentators can't tell if it crossed the line, but the referee says it did, so the R's grab a late lead! Can't wait to see this one on QPR World.

[Atouk]

Bignot goes in the book for time wasting.

4 minutes of stoppage time.

[Atouk]

Coventry 1-2 QPR
FULL TIME

[Milos]

Damn! I thought we would get a win with our new manager and being at home.

The slide continues

[Atouk]

Derby's match with West Ham is tomorrow and Burnley lost to Cardiff, so the R's leapfrog both of those two and are now 9th in the table.

Millwall lost to Wolves at home and West Ham doesn't play until tomorrow. They were tied with 45 points for the last playoff spot (Millwall had the better goal difference), so the R's now sit just two points behind Millwall for the final playoff spot -- 45-43 (although we have an inferior goal difference).

[Atouk]

I was a bit off there, because Preston's result today pushes them to the final playoff spot (at least until West Ham's match tomorrow). The table:

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Table
P GD PTS
1 Ipswich 30 19 59
2 Wigan 30 31 57
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3 Sunderland 30 17 56
4 Reading 30 10 50
5 Sheff Utd 30 2 48
6 Preston 30 1 46
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7 Millwall 30 6 45
8 West Ham 29 2 45
9 QPR 30 -3 43
10 Derby 29 2 42
11 Leeds 30 3 40
12 Crewe 29 0 40
13 Burnley 28 0 40
14 Leicester 29 4 39
15 Wolverhampton 30 1 38
16 Stoke 30 -4 38
17 Watford 30 2 37
18 Brighton 30 -12 37
19 Cardiff 30 -2 34
20 Plymouth 30 -9 33
21 Coventry 30 -12 32
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22 Gillingham 30 -21 29
23 Nottm Forest 30 -17 25
24 Rotherham 30 -20 20

[Atouk]

West Ham lost to Derby, so Derby passes us and the R's drop one spot to 10th.

Updated top half of the table:

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Table
P GD PTS
1 Ipswich 30 19 59
2 Wigan 30 31 57
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3 Sunderland 30 17 56
4 Reading 30 10 50
5 Sheff Utd 30 2 48
6 Preston 30 1 46
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7 Millwall 30 6 45
8 Derby 30 3 45
9 West Ham 30 1 45
10 QPR 30 -3 43
11 Leeds 30 3 40
12 Crewe 29 0 40

[HiJazzey]

Well, looks like we've stablised the ship. Hopefully the team stays fit and we can consolidate our position