QPR -- 21st, 38 GP, -14 GD, 40 points v. WBA -- 6th, 39 GP, +20 GD, 64 points ------ 31 March 2007 15:00 Loftus Road ------ Tough game for the R's as they host promotion-chasing WBA. West Brom is just one point ahead of Cardiff for the final play-off spot. The R's, of course, are just one point ahead of Southend for the final relegation spot. The R's go with the same lineup that beat Leicester, while Dexter Blackstock returns from injury and is named to the bench. Also on the bench is Wolves loanee Rohan Ricketts. The Starting XI: Camp; Bignot, Stewart, Cullip, Mancienne; Cook, Bolder, Idiakez, Ainsworth; Nygaard, Furlong. Bench: Blackstock, Ricketts, Kanyuka, Smith, Cole.
FYI, this thread will have results from all Championship matches. Leeds won yesterday, tightening things up further at the bottom. Entering today: 18 Burnley 37 -5 41 19 Hull 39 -17 41 20 Barnsley 39 -24 41 21 QPR 38 -14 40 ------ 22 Southend 39 -19 39 23 Leeds 40 -24 39 24 Luton 39 -20 36 Other games involving the bottom seven: Yesterday: Leeds 2-1 Preston - David Healey scored the winner for Leeds in the 90th minute Today: Burnley hosts Luton Hull hosts Southend Barnsley hosts Derby Decent start for the R's. Furlong and Nygaard winning some balls up top, Cook and Ainsworth pressing things out wide. That said, WBA has had a couple of opportunities, too. Two corners thus far and one shot that didn't go too far wide of the bar.
Idiakez came off; Steve Lomas came on in the 14th minute. The commentators didn't see what was wrong with Idiakez, but they said Lomas had been warming up and was ready to come in. They speculated that maybe he'd been ill, but weren't sure.
Derby is now 1-0 up at Barnsley after an 11th minute goal. Good news for the R's. Elsewhere, it looks like a wild one at Ipswich. Plymouth went a man down in the 2nd minute and then Ipswich scored in the 9th and got a second goal in the 15th. Could be a long day for Holloway.
Hooopssaaaaah! Decent chance for the R's there. Ainsworth went straight at the defense, sent in a ball to Furlong who directed it toward goal, but it went wide. Nice run by Ainsworth.
Nygaard with a fairly weak header in the box, but WBA's Darren Carter cleared it. A minute late, Ainsworth sent a ball (pass? shot?) that was blocked by Sam Sodje in the box. Nice bit of pressure for QPR.
Stoke 1-1 Leicester -- they scored back to back -- Leicester in the 16th, Stoke in the 18th. In our game, Bolder gave away a foul in a dangerous area, but Camp was able to catch the free kick. R's went straight back on the attack, as Ainsworth sent the ball in to Furs, who couldn't quite get to it.
Ball in from Ainsworth toward Cook. Cook couldn't quite get a head to it, but was called for a push anyway. Southampton scored two quick goals at Wolves -- one in the 24th and an own goal in the 27th for a 2-0 lead. Leicester picked up three bookings in four minutes at Stoke (22nd, 23rd, 26th), then Stoke scored on a penalty in the 29th. Stoke 2-1 Leicester.
Thanks for the updates from HQ. The commentators aren't happy that the referee just gave WBA a goal kick when a ball went off Sodje. However, a few minutes ago, they wondered why we got a corner when they thought it went off Nygaard.
Southampton got a third as Saganowski got his second. Southend's Foran picked up a booking in the 37th minute. They're still 0-0 at Hull.
Hull is now 1-0 up against Southend. Windass with a goal in the 43rd. In our game, they've given 2 minutes of injury time.
A Cook corner was headed back across the face of goal by Nygaard, but comes to nothing as WBA clears. That does it for the first half. QPR 0-0 WBA
Nathan Ellington enters for Darren Carter as WBA change up their side. We're underway in the second half.
Good chance for the R's, but Furs scuffs the shot. Directly after that, the R's stand around as WBA scores. Damn. Simple finish.
BLACKSTOCK SCORES! Blackstock's first touch is a goal! Stewart won the ball, sent it to Ainsworth, Ainsworth does good work to get it to Blackstock. 1-1