Nottingham Forest -- 23rd, 21 GP, 5-3-13, -10 GD, 17 points v. QPR -- 5th, 21 GP, 11-3-7, +2 GD, 36 points ------ 4 December 15:00 City Ground ------ Sorry I didn't get a regular thread done this week. Bircham is unfit; not sure why. Adam Miller, signed from non-league Aldershot just a few weeks back, gets his first start! Cureton to the bench. Today's linup for the R's: Day; Bignot, Santos, Shittu, Padula; Cook, Bean, Miller, Ainsworth; Gallen, Furlong. Bench: Cureton, Branco, McLeod, Cole, and Ryan Johnson. Olly was talking about changing up his formation after four consecutive road losses. I wonder if we're going with more of a 4-5-1 today, with Gallen more spearheading the midfield than a forward and with Furlong alone as a center forward.
On the commentary, Billy Rice confirmed that they were practicing in a 4-5-1 this week, with Bircham in front of the defense and behind the other four. He said he didn't know if Miller or Bean was going to start. Bicham has an illness, so the deck has been reshuffled a bit. Cook on the left; Ainsworth on the right; Bean, Miller, and Gallen in the middle.
We've had a majority of the possession thus far. Adam Miller just took a hard shot from distance, forcing the goalkeeper to make a save and concede a corner.
Damn. We were holding possession in their end. They haven't had a shot on goal. With the ball well into their end, they got a clearance, dumped it over the top, Dave Johnson ran on and Shittu took him down in the box and a penalty was issued. Andy Reid took the penalty, Day saved it, but Reid scored on the rebound. Well against the run of play, it's Forest 1-0 QPR. No card for Shittu.
In the minutes since the goal, Forest have taken the initiative and have been the better side. Cook got a so-so shot on goal a few minutes back, but Forest have had a couple of decent chances. Commentator isn't sure if it's a permanent move, but it looks like Gallen has pushed forward and we've gone to a 4-4-2.
Well that just means the Rrrrr's have about 25 minutes to at least get an equalizer before we have to leave to go see Santa Claus. Do to scheduling I have only been able to listen to maybe 2 or 3 games this year, so the least they could do for me today is get a goal before we leave. I guess after our girls have told santa what they want I could ask him for a promotion run by the Rrrr's this year.
Forgot to mention -- Santos was booked in the 28th. The R's have played better in the last 15 minutes. Things have been pretty even, if a bit dull, but we've had a shot or two more than they have and we pressed for a goal a bit in the closing minutes. Forest 1-0 QPR HALF TIME
Sounds good! Hop up on ol' Santa's lap and ask him for the same spot in the table in May as we have right now!
We started well and... on a freekick from Padula into the penalty area, Shittu flicked it on, and Santos kicked it toward goal off the bar and into the net! Goal to Rangers! Way to go Big Dan and nice goal Georges! Forest 1-1 QPR
Cureton & McLeod come on for Ainsworth & Cook. Looks like Gallen goes into the midfield, Cureton up front, Miller out right, and McLeod for Cook in a straight change.
26,099 at the City Ground; 2,202 Rangers supporters there. Santos has moved up front, so we've gone to a 3-4-3.
Disappointing. We had our chances and a point each might have been a fair result, but they may have been a bit better in their good stretches than we were in our good stretches, so I won't say the don't deserve all three points. Forest 2-1 QPR FULL TIME
********ing hell. 5 straight losses on the road. It's becoming like a couple of years ago, I hope in the end the road form isn't what costs us a chance at the playoffs this year. What am I saying though...christ in August I would have been so happy to even think about a chance at the playoffs.
With the loss, we drop to 6th. 2nd place Ipswich is up next at Loftus Road. The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Table P GD PTS 1 Wigan 22 26 44 2 Ipswich 22 17 43 ----------------- 3 Sunderland 22 12 40 4 Reading 22 8 38 5 West Ham 22 4 37 6 QPR 22 1 36 ----------------- 7 Sheff Utd 22 0 35 8 Leicester 22 6 31 9 Stoke 22 -1 31 10 Derby 22 1 30 11 Burnley 22 -1 30 12 Plymouth 22 0 29 13 Millwall 21 0 29 14 Crewe 22 -3 29 15 Preston 22 -5 29 16 Watford 22 4 28 17 Wolverhampton 21 1 27 18 Coventry 22 -7 26 19 Leeds 22 1 25 20 Brighton 22 -12 25 21 Cardiff 22 -5 22 ------------------ 22 Nottm Forest 22 -9 20 23 Gillingham 22 -21 18 24 Rotherham 22 -17 11