Post by QPR Report on Feb 27, 2010 17:14:58 GMT
QPR Official Site: Middlesbrouh 2 QPR 0
It was the tale of two penalties at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium this afternoon - they were both awarded to the hosts, as QPR lost 2-0 in the north-east.
Referee Mr Woolmer harshly gave the first when Peter Ramage seemed to win the ball as he slid in on Jeremie Aliadiere on 38 minutes, while the second was given six minutes later when Kaspars Gorkss was adjudged to have tugged at Leroy Lita.
Boro midfielder Barry Robson made no mistake with either.
This was in fact a good performance by Mick Harford's men, as the R's took the game to Middlesbrough.
Mikele Leigertwood worked hard alongside Alejandro Faurlin, while Lee Cook put in another solid display.
It was the R's skipper who had the best chance for the visitors, after being teed up by substitute Marcus Bent in the box, but his close-range drive hit the face of the post.
There wasn't much between the teams, but Lady Luck certainly didn't look favourably on the west Londoners this afternoon.
The R's gaffer made just one change to the side that beat Doncaster 2-1 last weekend, bringing in Leigertwood - who was available once again after serving his three match ban for a red card at Peterborough - for Matt Connolly, who missed out with an ankle injury.
It meant that Carl Ikeme lined up between the sticks with Matt Hill, Damion Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss and Ramage in defence from left to right.
Cook continued on the left wing while Faurlin was partnered in the centre of the park by skipper Leigertwood and Akos Buzsaky, with Jay Simpson taking up a position on the right of midfield.
In attack, Antonio German, who signed a two-year contract extension just 24 hours before kick off, led the line.
QPR started in the ascendancy, with Buzsaky's in-swinging free kick from the left and a Cook corner moments later forcing a good defensive header out of Boro centre back Stephen McManus.
In the 9th minute, Cook burst into the home penalty area after great work by Leigertwood and went down under the challenge of David Wheater, but referee Mr Woolmer wasn't interested in the R's winger's claims for a spot-kick.
Three minutes later, Gary O'Neill's 25-yard free kick forced the first save of the game, as Ikeme comfortably pushed the effort around his right-hand post.
On 14 minutes, Cook was the architect of a fabulous QPR move, after he collected possession on the left inside his own half. The in-form midfielder evaded three challenges before picking out Buszaky on the edge of the Boro area.
The Hungarian laid the ball to his right for the on-rushing Simpson, but he blazed wide of the near post from 16 yards.
Mid-way through the half O'Neill's free kick from the left touchline was flicked into the path of Emanuel Pogatetz, but he could only fire over from eight yards.
Chris Killen thought he had broken the deadlock on 27 minutes when he found the back of the net from close range after a neat pass by Robson, but the Boro forward had strayed offside.
The hosts took the lead in the 39th minute from the spot after Ramage was cruelly adjudged to have brought down Aliadiere in the area.
With the Boro winger through on goal, Ramage seemed to execute a fantastic last-ditch tackle, clearly connecting with the ball and sending it out of play.
To the Geordie's obvious disgust, Woolmer pointed straight at the spot to the delight of the home fans.
Robson stepped up and fired the ball straight down the middle of the goal to beat Ikeme and give Middlesbrough the advantage.
The R's responded in fine fashion, however, and really took the game to their opponents in a bid to draw level before the break.
After a great passing move involving Leigertwood, Cook and Buzsaky, the latter fired goalwards from 18 yards but his shot was well blocked by Pogatetz.
With Boro unable to clear their lines, the R's created another opening as the ball fell to Simpson in the area on the right. Appeals for offside were ignored but Simpson's shot was thwarted at the near post by Danny Coyne.
But just as Rangers were looking to get back on terms, they were dealt a huge blow when Woolmer awarded his second spot kick for the host in the space of six minutes.
The match official ruled Gorkss had tugged Leroy Lita in the area, and Robson duly smashed home from 12 yards, picking out the top right-hand corner.
Just before the half ended, Buzsaky stung the palms of Coyne in the Boro goal with a fierce drive from 25 yards.
Harford reverted to a 4-4-2 formation after the break, as he worked to get his team back in this game. Simpson joined German in attack, with Buzsaky returning to the right of midfield.
Five minutes into the second half, Buzsaky's long free kick from just inside the Boro half was flicked on by Stewart, but his header was easily gathered by Coyne.
As Stewart returned to his defensive position, he remonstrated with the referee that he was being pulled all over the place in the box, but Woolmer wasn't interested.
Harford then made a double substitution, replacing Hill and German with Gary Borrowdale and Marcus Bent respectively.
The change certainly made a difference, as the R's began to really impose themselves on the hosts, and were camped in the Boro half for large spells, but failed to really threaten Coyne's goal.
Such was the territorial advantage, the home fans started to show their frustrations, despite being two goals to the good.
In the 69th minute, Ramage got down the right before whipping in a great delivery for Bent, but McManus got the slightest of touches to avert the danger before the ball could reach the R's forward.
Seconds later, Simpson was inches away from connecting with a similar delivery by Cook on the other flank.
Harford then made his final substitution of the afternoon, replacing the hard-working Faurlin with the creative Adel Taarabt.
And his impact was almost instant. After Buzsaky had tussled for possession in the middle of the park, the ball fell kindly for the Moroccan, who forced a finger-tip save from Coyne from 20 yards out.
At the other end, Lita nearly made it three for the hosts following a counter-attack, but Ikeme was equal to it, denying him with a fine save to his left.
In the 79th minute, the R's should have halved the deficit through Leigertwood. After a fine ball from the right by Ramage to the far post, Bent coolly nodded the ball into the path of the R's skipper, but his drive hit the post from six yards out with the keeper flat-footed.
Six minutes later, Bent put the ball in the back of the net following Taarabt's delivery from the right, but his effort was immediately ruled out for offside.
Middlesbrough were able to safely see out the closing stages, as the R's were left to rue those crucial penalty decisions in the first half.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Coyne, Pogatetz (Taylor, 78), Lita (Arca, 83), Aliadiere (Franks, 65), Killen, Flood, O'Neil, Robson, McManus, Wheater, Naughton.
Subs: Jones, Hoyte, Miller, Grounds.
Goals: Robson (38, pen), (44, pen)
Bookings: Killen (72)
QPR: Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Leigertwood, Buzsaky, Gorkss, Cook, Faurlin (Taarabt, 69), Hill (Borrowdale, 54), Simpson, German (Bent, 54).
Subs: Cerny, Vine, Balanta, Ephraim.
Attendance: 17, 568 (523 QPR fans)
Referee: Mr K A Woolmer
www.qpr.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~47416,00.html
It was the tale of two penalties at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium this afternoon - they were both awarded to the hosts, as QPR lost 2-0 in the north-east.
Referee Mr Woolmer harshly gave the first when Peter Ramage seemed to win the ball as he slid in on Jeremie Aliadiere on 38 minutes, while the second was given six minutes later when Kaspars Gorkss was adjudged to have tugged at Leroy Lita.
Boro midfielder Barry Robson made no mistake with either.
This was in fact a good performance by Mick Harford's men, as the R's took the game to Middlesbrough.
Mikele Leigertwood worked hard alongside Alejandro Faurlin, while Lee Cook put in another solid display.
It was the R's skipper who had the best chance for the visitors, after being teed up by substitute Marcus Bent in the box, but his close-range drive hit the face of the post.
There wasn't much between the teams, but Lady Luck certainly didn't look favourably on the west Londoners this afternoon.
The R's gaffer made just one change to the side that beat Doncaster 2-1 last weekend, bringing in Leigertwood - who was available once again after serving his three match ban for a red card at Peterborough - for Matt Connolly, who missed out with an ankle injury.
It meant that Carl Ikeme lined up between the sticks with Matt Hill, Damion Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss and Ramage in defence from left to right.
Cook continued on the left wing while Faurlin was partnered in the centre of the park by skipper Leigertwood and Akos Buzsaky, with Jay Simpson taking up a position on the right of midfield.
In attack, Antonio German, who signed a two-year contract extension just 24 hours before kick off, led the line.
QPR started in the ascendancy, with Buzsaky's in-swinging free kick from the left and a Cook corner moments later forcing a good defensive header out of Boro centre back Stephen McManus.
In the 9th minute, Cook burst into the home penalty area after great work by Leigertwood and went down under the challenge of David Wheater, but referee Mr Woolmer wasn't interested in the R's winger's claims for a spot-kick.
Three minutes later, Gary O'Neill's 25-yard free kick forced the first save of the game, as Ikeme comfortably pushed the effort around his right-hand post.
On 14 minutes, Cook was the architect of a fabulous QPR move, after he collected possession on the left inside his own half. The in-form midfielder evaded three challenges before picking out Buszaky on the edge of the Boro area.
The Hungarian laid the ball to his right for the on-rushing Simpson, but he blazed wide of the near post from 16 yards.
Mid-way through the half O'Neill's free kick from the left touchline was flicked into the path of Emanuel Pogatetz, but he could only fire over from eight yards.
Chris Killen thought he had broken the deadlock on 27 minutes when he found the back of the net from close range after a neat pass by Robson, but the Boro forward had strayed offside.
The hosts took the lead in the 39th minute from the spot after Ramage was cruelly adjudged to have brought down Aliadiere in the area.
With the Boro winger through on goal, Ramage seemed to execute a fantastic last-ditch tackle, clearly connecting with the ball and sending it out of play.
To the Geordie's obvious disgust, Woolmer pointed straight at the spot to the delight of the home fans.
Robson stepped up and fired the ball straight down the middle of the goal to beat Ikeme and give Middlesbrough the advantage.
The R's responded in fine fashion, however, and really took the game to their opponents in a bid to draw level before the break.
After a great passing move involving Leigertwood, Cook and Buzsaky, the latter fired goalwards from 18 yards but his shot was well blocked by Pogatetz.
With Boro unable to clear their lines, the R's created another opening as the ball fell to Simpson in the area on the right. Appeals for offside were ignored but Simpson's shot was thwarted at the near post by Danny Coyne.
But just as Rangers were looking to get back on terms, they were dealt a huge blow when Woolmer awarded his second spot kick for the host in the space of six minutes.
The match official ruled Gorkss had tugged Leroy Lita in the area, and Robson duly smashed home from 12 yards, picking out the top right-hand corner.
Just before the half ended, Buzsaky stung the palms of Coyne in the Boro goal with a fierce drive from 25 yards.
Harford reverted to a 4-4-2 formation after the break, as he worked to get his team back in this game. Simpson joined German in attack, with Buzsaky returning to the right of midfield.
Five minutes into the second half, Buzsaky's long free kick from just inside the Boro half was flicked on by Stewart, but his header was easily gathered by Coyne.
As Stewart returned to his defensive position, he remonstrated with the referee that he was being pulled all over the place in the box, but Woolmer wasn't interested.
Harford then made a double substitution, replacing Hill and German with Gary Borrowdale and Marcus Bent respectively.
The change certainly made a difference, as the R's began to really impose themselves on the hosts, and were camped in the Boro half for large spells, but failed to really threaten Coyne's goal.
Such was the territorial advantage, the home fans started to show their frustrations, despite being two goals to the good.
In the 69th minute, Ramage got down the right before whipping in a great delivery for Bent, but McManus got the slightest of touches to avert the danger before the ball could reach the R's forward.
Seconds later, Simpson was inches away from connecting with a similar delivery by Cook on the other flank.
Harford then made his final substitution of the afternoon, replacing the hard-working Faurlin with the creative Adel Taarabt.
And his impact was almost instant. After Buzsaky had tussled for possession in the middle of the park, the ball fell kindly for the Moroccan, who forced a finger-tip save from Coyne from 20 yards out.
At the other end, Lita nearly made it three for the hosts following a counter-attack, but Ikeme was equal to it, denying him with a fine save to his left.
In the 79th minute, the R's should have halved the deficit through Leigertwood. After a fine ball from the right by Ramage to the far post, Bent coolly nodded the ball into the path of the R's skipper, but his drive hit the post from six yards out with the keeper flat-footed.
Six minutes later, Bent put the ball in the back of the net following Taarabt's delivery from the right, but his effort was immediately ruled out for offside.
Middlesbrough were able to safely see out the closing stages, as the R's were left to rue those crucial penalty decisions in the first half.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Coyne, Pogatetz (Taylor, 78), Lita (Arca, 83), Aliadiere (Franks, 65), Killen, Flood, O'Neil, Robson, McManus, Wheater, Naughton.
Subs: Jones, Hoyte, Miller, Grounds.
Goals: Robson (38, pen), (44, pen)
Bookings: Killen (72)
QPR: Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Leigertwood, Buzsaky, Gorkss, Cook, Faurlin (Taarabt, 69), Hill (Borrowdale, 54), Simpson, German (Bent, 54).
Subs: Cerny, Vine, Balanta, Ephraim.
Attendance: 17, 568 (523 QPR fans)
Referee: Mr K A Woolmer
www.qpr.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~47416,00.html
