Coventry City v QPR (5 March: Championship Match 36) [R]

[QPR Kevin H]

Big one tonight in the Midlands... here's the info

http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Preview/0,,10373~1255651,00.html

Kick-off: 7:45 (UK)
Ricoh Arena, Coventry

But two defeats on the spin since then has seen them slip down to 21st position - and more worringly perhaps, just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Rangers ground out a priceless victory in their last visit to the Ricoh Arena in April.

So those two defeats in a row leave Coventry 6 spots beneath the Rs, on 39 points. This is a huge match for Sky Blues - a win would move them up 5 spots and 6 points clear of Sheffield Wednesday and the relegation zone(22nd).

A win for the Rs could have an equally season changing effect. Could leapfrog a few teams up to 47 points, 8 points behind the playoffs. But enough table talk, just need a good performance to gain some more momentum after the Stoke win.

Some team news...

R's midfielder Gavin Mahon is again likely to miss out owing to a medial injury, while Coleman could recall midfield duo Michael Doyle and Stephen Hughes.

Doyle is available after completing a three-match ban and Hughes has recovered from concussion.

A rallying call from Coventry manager Chris Coleman...

http://www.clubcall.com/index.jsp?storyID=334745

"I never saw fight and desire in the second half on Saturday and that was disappointing because we have got some good guys here.
"The players are normally naturally gifted with fight and desire and once you get to the highest level that's not enough and you need more than that to survive in the Premier League.

Coventry are currently 16th in the form table, with two wins from their last 6 matches. The Rs have only lost one in that span - the heart breaker v Burnley.

http://www.4thegame.com/statistics/championship/tables/currentform.html

UUUUURRRRRRRs!!

[QPR Kevin H]

Rangers are unchanged tonight...

Teams

Coventry City: Marshall, Fox, Ward, Hughes, Doyle, Osbourne, Mifsud, Tabb, Best, Dann, Thornton.

Subs: Konstantopoulos, Hall, Andrews, Simpson, Gray.

QPR: Camp, Delaney, Mancienne, Buzsaky, Rowlands, Connolly, Agyemang, Ephraim, Vine, Hall, Leigertwood.

Subs: Barker, Stewart, Blackstock, Ainsworth, Pickens.

Our referee tonight is Mike Dean

[QPR Kevin H]

Game on!

Crowd at the Ricoh described as "sparse"

[QPR Kevin H]

Elliot Ward scores... but its disallowed (offside)

[Atouk]

Whew!

[QPR Kevin H]

*****RESULTS AND SCORES FROM OTHER MATCHES*****








Chelsea are one up in their Champs League match

[QPR Kevin H]

Coventry sound much more active than the Rs thus far. Michael Mifsud came close on a breakaway.

[Atouk]

Michael Mifsud came close on a breakaway.I was in Malta on a holiday in March 2001 and saw Malta's 0-5 home loss to Denmark in a World Cup qualifier. It was 0-1 at the half... then the dam broke.

I just pulled up the box score (http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=4395/preliminaries/preliminary=3835/matches/match=19629/report.html) on the FIFA website to see if Mifsud played that day. He didn't, but guess who was an unused sub for Denmark... Marc Nygaard! :)

[QPR Kevin H]

I was in Malta on a holiday in March 2001 and saw Malta's 0-5 home loss to Denmark in a World Cup qualifier. It was 0-1 at the half... then the dam broke.

I just pulled up the box score (http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=4395/preliminaries/preliminary=3835/matches/match=19629/report.html) on the FIFA website to see if Mifsud played that day. He didn't, but guess who was an unused sub for Denmark... Marc Nygaard! :)
If there was some sort of award for "most random football match ever attended by an American" - you'd have to take it for that one :)

Although my trip to Inverness for the QPR friendly a few years back might be up there as well!

[Atouk]

If there was some sort of award for "most random football match ever attended by an American" - you'd have to take it for that one :)

Although my trip to Inverness for the QPR friendly a few years back might be up there as well!I wore a red Sam's Army t-shirt that night. :) I guess I fit right in since both Malta and Denmark wear red!

Speaking of random games, a couple of friends and I are going to the El Salvador vs. Anguilla qualifier at RFK later this month. Should be fun... El Salvador is sitting on a 12-0 lead from their home leg. :eek:

The Inverness stadium looks like a great place to take in a game... at least in the pre-season or the end of the season when the weather is nice!

[QPR Kevin H]

Great save - Lee Camp!

[ross from st paul]

If there was some sort of award for "most random football match ever attended by an American" - you'd have to take it for that one :)
:D

Yep.


Sheesh, soccernet gamecasts make me practically pass out. I can't stand this.

Lee Camp makes an outstanding save

OK, that's good to read...but have we even managed a shot yet?!?

[QPR Kevin H]

OK, that's good to read...but have we even managed a shot yet?!?
We haven't managed much. After a mid-half lull, Coventry are lively again. Need to find some motivation at half-time.

[QPR Kevin H]

And that's HT

Commentator describes the Rs effort "as poor tonight as Stoke was good"

Not so terrible because it's goalless - I wonder if De Canio is just happy enough not losing away from home? And if that is such a bad thing?

Living on the edge a bit tonight - since Coventry have come close a bunch of times.

[QPR Kevin H]

No changes to start the 2nd half - and we're underway

[QPR Kevin H]

More saves from Camp and uninspired football from QPR

[QPR Kevin H]

Martin Rowlands is down and receiving treatment

Guessing Rowly's alright - Ainsworth was warming up, but hasn't come on

[QPR Kevin H]

1,106 travelling supporters tonight - good for a Wednesday night in the Midlands

[Maczebus]

See? This is what thoroughly frustrates me about the Rs.

We can beat the top 3 in the division and very effectively run rings around Stoke the other day - and whilst I know this is away from home, we are seemingly a totally different team against a struggling Coventry side..

Until we manage to face the demons of being more successful in away matches, there's no possibility of leaving this division at all, let alone in the near future.

[ross from st paul]

Akos gets the yellow.

Shocking.