3. QPR - 11 GP, 5-5-1, +14 GD, 20 Points 14. Grimsby Town -- 11 GP, 4-3-4, -2 GD, 15 Points ------ 4 October Blundell Park ------ Gnohere is out through suspension. Out through injury are McLeod, Edghill, and Shittu, plus Rose on long-term injury and Carlisle in rehab. So, we're only missing five potential starters in back along with our left winger. I guess we'll go with Padula-Palmer-Forbes-Rowlands in the back tomorrow. With McLeod out and Rowlands unavailable to the midfield, might we go with Ainsworth-Bircham-Bean-Gallen in the midfield and Furlong-Thorpe up top? http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10373~433138,00.html Rangers slightly trail in the series, 13-9-15. In our last meetings, Grimsby won both matches in '00/'01. Alan Kaye will referee. He has given out 20 yellows and 1 red in 7 matches this season. He didn't work a QPR match last season and worked a Grimsby home League Cup loss. He hasn't worked a QPR match since a 0-0 draw at Birmingham City in '00/'01.
The lineup is as predicted above. 28 minutes in and it's still 0-0. We're having the better of it so far. Thorpe got a yellow for dissent in the 22nd minute. In other matches of interest: Port Vale is 1-0 up at Wrexham. Brighton is leading 1-0 at home against Blackpool.
HALF TIME Grimsby Town 0-0 QPR The only card of the half was Thorpe's 22nd minute yellow for dissent. QPR was far superior early, with Grimsby playing closer to even with the R's over the final 15 minutes. Still, the R's should be up. Let's hope we don't regret failing to get a goal in the first half.
Grimsby's Barnard earned a yellow (58'), with QPR's Rowlands getting one a couple minutes later (60'). Holloway has decided to make a tactical change in the 69th minute to try to get the points -- Barton comes on at left back; Thorpe comes off. Rowlands moves to left midfield, pushing Gallen up to the frontline. In other matches, Wrexham has evened things up with Port Vale. Brighton now up 2-0.
FINAL Grimsby Town 0-1 QPR There was a late non-call (before our goal) that the commentators thought should have been a penalty in favor of QPR as Furlong was taken down in the box. However, the late Sabin goal means we still get all three points! First ever win at Blundell Park for the R's! Brighton is running away with their Blackpool match (3-0), but Port Vale is now down 1-2 at Wrexham, so the R's may move into auto-promotion range today.
As I figure it (hope I didn't miss anyone), the top 10 after today's results: 1. Brighton & Hove Albion +11, 24 2. QPR +15, 23 ------ 3. Port Vale +5, 23 4. Sheffield Wednesday +5, 21 5. Hartlepool United +11, 20 6. Bristol City +8, 20 ------ 7. Swindon Town +7, 20 8. Barnsley 0, 19 9. Plymouth Argyle +5, 18 10. Colchester United -1, 18
I am definitely loving that goal difference! Once again, I scared the daylights out of my dog, screaming when QPR scored. The commentators sure were laying into the referee's assistant (deservedly so, from the sounds of it). My favorite line was " 'e couldn't direct traffic on a one-way street, could he?"