3. QPR - 17-11-5, +27, 62 points 18. Oldham Athletic - 8-13-12, -1, 37 points ------ 6 March 2004 Loftus Road ------ Rangers News: Everyone available on Tuesday is fit to return to action (Sabin has been loaned to Boston United). In other news, Bean has trained with the squad for a week and is set for a reserve match next week. Ainsworth is out of the boot, is set to return to training, and could feature as soon as next weekend (Prav said he's kept his fitness up well). Edghill is rehabbing "well" and Daysie went into the surgeon today. The Opponent: Oldham isn't the same club we faced in the play-off semi-final last season. After going through administration and losing manager Iain Dowie to Crystal Palace, the Latics are just three points above the relegation zone (although with a far superior goal different to those chasing them). They have 1 win, 2 draws, and 3 losses in their last six. They have three away losses in a row (0-1 at Bournemouth, 0-1 at Port Vale, 1-4 at Rushden) dating to a 1-1 away draw at Blackpool. Their one away win of the season was a 5-2 romp at Wycombe. The Series: It's now even in the all-time series, 11-8-11. The First Meeting: Oldham topped us 2-1 on 20 December (Matchday 22) just after Dowie left the club. We took a first-half lead through a Thorpe goal, but gave up two after the break in a game we dominated early. Our thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=87649 The Referee: ...is Steve Tanner: 19 matches, 83 yellows, 7 reds. He seems to be a young one; this is his first year doing League matches. Just a handfull of Conference games (and an early FA Cup match) last year. This year, he started with seven D3 matches and an LDV before moving up to some D2 matches. His last two have been in Division One. He's never worked a QPR or Oldham match. Scoreboard Watching: Plymouth Argyle is away to Notts County. Bristol City is away to Stockport County.
A bit of a surprise: Bean is on the bench! Our XI is unchanged from Tuesday: Culkin; Forbes, Carlisle, Gnohere, Padula; McLeod, Bircham, Johnson, Rowlands; Gallen, Thorpe. Bench: Cureton, Furlong, Bean, Rose, Palmer. http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10373~497181,00.html
Stockport has taken an early lead against Bristol City, 1-0! Two shots on goal for the R's here in the first 11 minutes. Come on, you R's!
Another good chance for Rangers in the 25th; a "classic one-two" between Thorpe and Gallen, but they put it onto the roof of the net. We've got to take advantage of all the possession we're having (the match console has us with a 62-38 lead in possession; 5 shots, 3 on target, Oldham just got their first shot on goal). Stockport still leading Bristol City, 1-0. Plymouth is 0-0 at Notts County.
Oldham's Chris Killen goes in the book on the half hour for a harsh challenge on Carlisle. A minute later, Bircham got a warning for a challenge on Killen.
Oldham's Calvin Zola is booked. Both Oldham strikers have now picked up cards. Looks like we just survived a close call, as Killen went down in the box with Padula possibly involved. The ref didn't award a penalty. Three minutes left in the half. No changes in the Plymouth or Bristol City matches. As I'm typing, Gallen just nearly scored, seriously testing the Oldham keeper. Two minutes left.
Son of a... against the run of play, former Ranger Paul Murray strikes for Oldham in the closing moments of the half. QPR 0-1 Oldham Athletic The R's nearly answered in the next few seconds, but Oldham was able to snuff out the quick attack.
HALF TIME QPR 0-1 Oldham Athletic Others: Stockport County 1-0 Bristol City Notts County 0-0 Plymouth Argyle
Oldham's Danny Boshell goes into the book in the 48th minute. R's have had several chances already in the second half. Come on, Rangers! QPR 0-1 Oldham As I type, as Rangers take a corner and Thorpe is fouled in the box... a penalty is awarded. Kevin Gallen steps up to take the kick in front of the Loft. GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL! Gallen nets his 14th! QPR 1-1 Oldham Athletic
Killen gets a card for diving, so is sent off, having picked up a card in the first half. Rangers are up a man for the final six minutes. Come on, Rangers, let's get the three points! Plymouth is still involved in a scoreless draw at Notts County and Stockport still holds a one-goal lead over Bristol City.
QPR 1-1 Oldham FULL TIME Stockport scored again in the 88th minute and defeated Bristol City, 2-0. A Rangers win would have seen us move ahead of Bristol City into second place while still having a game in hand. As it is, we've cut the gap to two points (plus we still have the game in hand). Notts County missed a penalty and ended up drawing 0-0 with Plymouth. Would have been nice to gain on them, too. This is one Rangers should have won. Hope these two points dropped don't come back to bite us.
Thanks Atouk. Those other results made me breathe a sigh of relief. For the first time today I started thinking about life in the 2nd division for ANOTHER year. It's absolutlely too bitter to contemplate. But we'll get em.
Dissapointment I just want to express my dissapointment in this match. The entire time it seem that we were the better time, but one thing eluded us . . . finnishing. We couldn't find the back of the net with a net seeking missile, we need all the points we can get from the mediocre teams in order to press for promotion and not rely on other teams results. I fear that we may stumble at the last hurdle and spend more time in the bowels of division 2. Thats just one fans opinion.
Hey as much as I want to be a 'Negative Nancy' I am not going to be. We at least got the point, it could have been worse. I think we are going to be ok, we just have to keep our focus. Keep the faith!!!!!
While 3 points would have been great yesterday...I think I will still look at things with rose colored glasses. We gained on 2nd place and stayed even with 1st place this weekend. We are the only team with an undefeated home record. If we can just start getting some more points on the road I think we will be ok. If our bad stretch this season means getting ties instead of losses I will take it. And if things continue and we end up in the playoffs, well that will mean just that much more excitement for the season.
Re: Dissapointment Finnishing? As in Jari Litmanen scoring? Have to agree with you to some extent though. We did almost everything right yesterday, but we could not convert on a bushell of good chances. Very frustrating. I saw three shots somehow go over the bar from less than 5 yards! It really did seem that there was a plexiglass shield across the goal. The supporters are correct in applauding our much improved play. I thought Martin Rowlands was superb in the first half - but did not touch the ball enough in the second. Bircham was spirited and improved again. Arthur Gnohere had a solid match at the back. Ty Forbes passing was dissapointing again, but he helps the slower Gnohere and Carlisle defensively. I don't think that the Gallen, McLeod, Cureton, Furlong switch around was effective - and not a particularly good afternoon for either Kevin. Furlong really should have found a way to put one of his chances in. Richard Johnsen was effective in the first half - not bad in the 2nd, but his passing went wayward as the match progressed. What the last 3 home matches have shown me is that we are again capable of dominating teams - but promotion will now depend on finishing, getting early leads and away form. Lets hope that we'll show all three of those things next week at Hartlepool.
Well that's one way of putting it. Another way of putting it would be "another round of Russian Roulette? Why, sure!"