QPR v. Preston North End (5 April: Championship Match 42) [R]

[Atouk]

What a comeback for the R's. Down 0-2 late, 67th minute substitute Gareth Ainsworth scored his first goal of the season in the 90th minute and set up Dexter Blackstock for a headed goal in the 93rd as the R's fougth back to earn a point at the death in front of a few shy of 15,000 at Loftus Road!

Offish: Match report. (http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~38452,00.html)

Offish: What the papers said. (http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PaperTalk/0,,10373~1283491,00.html)

QPR: Camp, Mahon (Ainsworth 67), Stewart, Mancienne, Blackstock, Rowlands, Connolly, Agyemang, Ephraim (Balanta 62), Hall, Leigertwood.

Subs: Barker, Pickens, Lee.

Scorers: Ainsworth 90, Blackstock 93

Bookings: Rowlands 13, Connolly 41

Preston North End: Lonergan, Davidson, Mawene, Sedgwick, Brown, Carter, St Ledger, Whaley, McKenna, Jones, Mellor (Priskin 46).

Subs: Chaplow, Hill, L Neal, C Neal.

Scorers: Mellor 37, Connolly 65

Bookings: Brown 66

Referee: Mr C Penton

Attendance: 14,966

[Atouk]

A few "games in hand" will get made up this week:

Monday, 07 April 2008
Stoke v Crystal Palace, 20:00

Tuesday, 08 April 2008
Blackpool v West Brom, 19:45
Sheff Utd v Sheff Wed, 19:45

Wednesday, 09 April 2008
Ipswich v Cardiff, 19:45
Watford v Barnsley, 19:45

Barnsley not only saw their FA Cup run end, but they're now in the bottom three, though they do have a game in hand compraed to Wednesday and two in hand with Leicester and others.

5 teams still have a good chance at the two automatic promotion spots and five teams are 3 points or less behind Wolves in the last playoff spot.

Here's the table as of today:

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Table
Pos Team P GD PTS

1 Bristol City 42 0 70
2 Stoke 41 12 69
------
3 Hull 41 18 68
4 Watford 41 12 68
5 West Brom 40 27 67
6 Wolverhampton 40 2 61
------
7 Ipswich 41 7 60
8 Charlton 42 6 60
9 Plymouth 42 8 59
10 Crystal Palace 41 7 59
11 Burnley 42 -2 58
12 Cardiff 40 3 56
13 Sheff Utd 41 2 56
14 QPR 42 -2 54
15 Preston 42 -2 54
16 Norwich 42 -8 52
17 Blackpool 41 1 50
18 Coventry 42 -12 49
19 Southampton 42 -16 49
20 Leicester 42 -2 47
21 Sheff Wed 41 -5 47
------
22 Barnsley 40 -14 46
23 Scunthorpe 42 -23 39
24 Colchester 42 -19 36

[QPR Kevin H]

Rich's eyewitness report from Loftus Road... "Shite for 88 minutes, completely undeserved point" :)

[Atouk]

Rich's eyewitness report from Loftus Road... "Shite for 88 minutes, completely undeserved point" :)We've given up 1 or 3 points in the opposite fashion on quite a few occasions lately, so I won't complain about the R's stealing a point late for a change! :D

[ross from st paul]

We've given up 1 or 3 points in the opposite fashion on quite a few occasions lately, so I won't complain about the R's stealing a point late for a change! :D

Amen to that!

I listened to the audio of the second half. The commentators weren't thrilled with QPR's performance on the day, but when Blackstock scored, I nearly scared my dog to death. :p

So, we enter, and leave, the weekend exactly equal to PNE on points and GD.

[QPR Kevin H]

Palace are 2 nil up and playing very well at Stoke. Scott Sinclair is shredding the Stoke defense - set up the first and nearly scored on a couple occasions.

Palace would go 6th with a win and Hull, Watford & West Brom would be very pleased to see Stoke lose a home match.

[QPR Kevin H]

Stoke City 1 - Crystal Palace 2

What a wild division - Palace are right back in it. Bristol City are still top and they've won once in the last month! I remember the days of clubs getting close to or over 100 points in this division - BC are on 70 (and an even goal differential :eek:). I think West Brom have to be the bookies favorites, they have 2 matches in hand...

1. Bristol City 70
2. Stoke 69
3. Hull 68
4. Watford 68
5. West Brom 67
6. Crystal Palace 62
7. Wolverhampton 61
8. Ipswich 60
9. Charlton 60
10. Plymouth 59
11. Burnley 58
12. Cardiff 56
13. Sheff Utd 56
14. QPR 54

[Atouk]

Tuesday, 08 April 2008
Blackpool v West Brom, 19:45
Sheff Utd v Sheff Wed, 19:45

Big games today. West Brom would go top on goal difference with a win and would still have a game in hand (this would push Stoke to a playoff place).

Sheffield United would stay within touching distance of the playoffs with a win (they'd be 3 points behind Palace) while Wednesday could either pull four points clear of relegation with a win (leapfrogging Leicester, Southampton, and Coventry) or, with a loss or draw, see themselves having played two more than Barnsley and only being one or two points ahead of the Tykes.

[QPR Kevin H]

Tuesday, 08 April 2008
Sheff Utd v Sheff Wed, 19:45
The crowd at Bramall Lane might be as loud as the one at Anfield tonight. Listening now.

[QPR Kevin H]

Goal - Blackpool 1 (Ben Burgess 35) West Brom 0

That's a good start for the Tangerines. I don't know if anyone wants to win this division.

[QPR Kevin H]

Goal - Sheff Utd 0 Sheff Wed 1 (Adam Bolder 39)

Former Rs and loanees are on fire this week

[QPR Kevin H]

I kid you not...

Goal - Sheff Utd 0 Sheff Wed 2 (Adam Bolder 56)

Quite a dramatic match. Apparently tons of trouble in the stands though.

[QPR Kevin H]

Goal - Sheff Utd 1 (Richard Wood Og 62) Sheff Wed 2

Riot police wading into the Brammal Lane Kop :(

[QPR Kevin H]

Goal - Blackpool 1 West Brom 2 (Kevin Phillips 84)
Goal - Sheff Utd 2 (James Beattie 85) Sheff Wed 2

Wow

[QPR Kevin H]

Goal - Blackpool 1 West Brom 3 (Ishmael Miller 87)

West Brom are going to go top

[Atouk]

The cream rises to the top in Blackpool and Adam Bolder goes wild in Sheffield -- interesting day.

[Atouk]

More Championship action today.

Wednesday, 09 April 2008
Ipswich v Cardiff, 19:45
Watford v Barnsley, 19:45

Big games today:
- Ipswich can move into the playoff places (Wolves will still have two in hand).
- Watford could move to the top of the table (although West Brom would still have a game in hand).
- Barnsley could move out of the relegation zone.
- Cardiff can stay in the hunt -- a win would put them 3 points behind the playoffs.

1 West Brom 41 29 70
2 Bristol City 42 0 70
------
3 Stoke 42 11 69
4 Hull 41 18 68
5 Watford 41 12 68
6 Crystal Palace 42 8 62
------
7 Wolverhampton 40 2 61
8 Ipswich 41 7 60
9 Charlton 42 6 60
10 Plymouth 42 8 59
11 Burnley 42 -2 58
12 Sheff Utd 42 2 57
13 Cardiff 40 3 56
14 QPR 42 -2 54
15 Preston 42 -2 54
16 Norwich 42 -8 52
17 Blackpool 42 -1 50
18 Coventry 42 -12 49
19 Southampton 42 -16 49
20 Sheff Wed 42 -5 48
21 Leicester 42 -2 47
------
22 Barnsley 40 -14 46
23 Scunthorpe 42 -23 39
24 Colchester 42 -19 36

[QPR Kevin H]

Think I'll go for Watford-Barnsley as my World audio commentary this afternoon. Barnsley could really use a point.

[Atouk]

Daily Mirror: Mugging ordeal for QPR boss Luigi De Canio (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/04/09/de-canio-mugged-89520-20377338/)

QPR boss Luigi De Canio was left bruised and shaken after being mugged hours before his side's Championship clash with Preston.

He was at a London police station until 3am on Saturday reporting the incident.

De Canio was believed to have been robbed in west London after going out for a meal on Friday.

But he brushed off the ordeal to take his place on the touchline as Rangers drew 2-2.

[ross from st paul]

Daily Mirror: Mugging ordeal for QPR boss Luigi De Canio (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/04/09/de-canio-mugged-89520-20377338/)

:eek: Wow.