QPR 1 Sheff Wed 1 - Match Reports and Comments

Apr 3 2010 By Paul Warburton Ealingazette
QPR 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday

QPR will hardly believe their eyes when they see the highlights of this match.
For 99 per cent of the match they called the shots but were undone by one lapse at the back when Tom Soares headed home as he connected with a in inch-perfect left-wing cross from Tommy Spurr.
And it could have been daylight robbery had Leon Clarke got a toe to another Spurr delivery only to miss by an inch slap-bang in front of goal.
It was all so different for the first 75 minutes.
Rangers bossed the first half and Alejandro Faurlin's first goal in hoops has been a long time coming. After 37 appearances the Argentine broke his duck when he rammed home a left-shot set up by his own header coming back to him courtesy of Damion Stewart's lay-off in the box.
But Rangers will wonder why they weren't 3-0 up at the break after Tamas Priskin twice had chances to extend the lead - but muffed his lines at the last.
The on-loan Hungarian was in the clear on the right, but took too long before unleashing a shot and found keeper Lee Grant equal to the task.
On 29 minutes, neat interplay betwen Adel Taarabt and Priskin saw the latter cut in from the other wing - but the striker only succeeded in thrashing the ball high and wide from an acute angle.
And three minutes into the second half poor Priskin's hat-trick of misses was complete when a dithering Wednesday defence allowed him time and space to hook over his shoulder to bring another one-handed save from Grant.
Rangers' control reached embarrassing proportions when Peter Ramage was allowed the freedom of the right flank to 20 yards only to fire across the box and watch the ball drift away much to Sheffield's relief.
The besieged Owls had to wait until the 65th minute to get their first meaningful attempt on goal - but James O'Connor's tame header from 15 yards was straght into the gloves of Carl Ikeme.
Normal service was quickly resumed, however, when Kaspars Gorkss latched on to a corner at the back post but only succeeded in directing his header wide of the upright.
Just when it looked a certain three points in the bag, Soares soared and sunk Rangers hopes in the twinkling of an eye.
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Alejandro Faurlin scored his first-ever goal for QPR, though Neil Warnock's dominant side had to settle for a point against Sheffield Wednesday at Loftus Road.

The Argentine midfielder put Rangers in front when he blasted home from close range on 23 minutes, after Hogan Ephraim's teasing cross wasn't dealt with by the Owls backline.

Rangers had chances to add a second, namely when Tamas Priskin's smashed shot was tipped on to the bar by Wednesday keeper Lee Grant and out for a corner.

And the R's were punished for not finding their way past Grant for a second time when the Owls equalised in the 78th minute.

Tommy Spurr's accurate cross from the left found Tom Soares in the box, who rose highest to nod in for a much-needed point for relegation-threatened Wednesday.

R's chief Warnock made just a solitary change for the visit of the Owls, with Jay Simpson replacing Antonio German in attack.

QPR deployed a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Carl Ikeme in goal behind a back four of Peter Ramage, Damion Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss and Matt Hill.

Captain Mikele Leigertwood and Faurlin occupied the two holding roles in midfield, while Priskin and Ephraim took up the wide positions.

Adel Taarabt played just behind Jay Simpson up front.

There wasn't much to separate the two sides in the opening ten or so minutes.

It was the R's who were first to test their opposing keeper.

QPR midfielder Ephraim received the ball deep in midfield before he drove at the Owls defence and unleashed a low drive that went straight at Owls keeper Grant.

Moments later, Taarabt, Ephraim and Faurlin all combined down the right before the ball eventually ricocheted to the latter on the edge of the area.

The Argentine playmaker looked up before firing in a stinging effort that was well held by Grant.

Rangers were edging ever nearer. Taarabt's beautiful corner from right was met by the head of Priskin, who nodded just wide of the right-hand post.

Soon after, QPR went closer still. Ramage's ball from right-back set Priskin through on goal at a narrow angle down the right.

The frontman bore down on goal before thundering in a powerful shot from just inside the box that was well palmed away by Grant for a corner kick.

From the resultant set-piece, the R's were in front.

Taarabt's centre fell to Ephraim on the edge of the box, and when the winger's cross wasn't dealt with, Faurlin smashed home his first goal for QPR into the net from close range.

Moments later, Taarabt and Leigertwood exchanged passes before the R's skipper flicked the ball on for Priskin, whose shot flew just over the crossbar for the Hoops.

Taarabt in particular was unsurprisingly causing the Owls - who handed Lewis Buxton the daunting task of man-marking the 20-year old - countless amounts of problems.

Soon after, the Moroccan magician tricked his way past two opponents before sending in a low drive that went just wide of Grant's left post.

Rangers began the second half from where they left off in the first.

Gorkss had the first opportunity to score, with his header cleared off the line after the Latvian international met Taarabt's pinpoint corner from the right.

Moments later, the R's almost added a second goal. Hill's ball from deep found Priskin all alone with his back to goal on the edge of the box.

The striker turned before smashing a shot in at goal that was excellently tipped on to the bar by Grant and out for a corner.

QPR were unrelenting in their search for a further strike.

Faurlin, Priskin and Ramage all combined before the defender lashed a centre across from the right that went agonisingly across the face of goal before being cleared up field.

Soon after, Faurlin won possession around 25-yards out before sending in a rasping effort on target that was well held by Grant.

Just past the hour mark, Wednesday fashioned their first shot on target.

Spurr made the chance, crossing superbly from the left to Marcus Tudgay, whose headed effort was well held by Ikeme in the R's goal.

QPR were soon back on the attack though.

Ramage once again found space down the right before sending over a cross that - in similar vein to his previous one - missed a whole host of R's players in the penalty area before the ball was cleared away to safety.

Taarabt then played over a corner from the left that was headed just wide by Gorkss at the back post for Rangers.

The R's, by now, should have been out of sight based on the amount of chances that they'd created.

But, such is the cruel nature of the beautiful game at times, they were punished for not taking a host of opportunities when Wednesday equalised with only 12 minutes left to play.

Spurr ran into the R's half on the left before crossing for Soares at the back post, who leapt to head the ball home into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

QPR: Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Leigertwood, Gorkss, Faurlin, Hill, Simpson (German 73), Ephraim (Cook 81), Priskin (Vine 89), Taarabt.

Subs: Cerny, Buzsaky, Balanta, Oastler.

Scorers: Faurlin (23)

Bookings: Taarabt

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Spurr, Buxton, Purse, Tudgay, Potter (Clarke 72), Beevers, O'Connor, Varney (Johnson 69), Sears, Nolan.
Subs: O'Donnell, Hinds, Jeffers, Simek, Gray.
Scorers: Soares (78)
Referee: Mr C H Webster
Attendance: 13, 405 (1749)
www.qpr.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~48869,00.html

UPDATED TABLE

Newcastle 40 86 47 77 3-2 v Peterborough
West Brom 41 82 38 81
Nottm Forest 41 71 21 56 1-1 v Bristol City
Cardiff 40 65 18 67 KO 17:20 (H) v Swansea
Swansea 40 62 2 33 KO 17:20 (A) v Cardiff
Leicester 41 61 5 48
Blackpool 41 60 14 66
Middlesbrough 41 55 9 54 1-1 FT v Crystal Palace
Doncaster 41 55 3 52 1-2 v Plymouth
Sheff Utd 41 55 2 54 0-0 FT v Barnsley
Bristol City 41 53 -9 51 1-1 v Nottm Forest
Reading 39 52 -4 51 0-2 v Ipswich
Coventry 41 52 -9 45 0-1 v Derby
Ipswich 41 51 -6 44 2-0 v Reading
Derby 41 51 -9 48 1-0 v Coventry
Barnsley 41 51 -13 49 0-0 FT v Sheff Utd
Preston 41 50 -10 52 1-1 v Watford

QPR 40 48 -5 54 1-1 FT v Sheff Wed
Sc*n*horpe 40 47 -20 50
Sheff Wed 41 45 -17 44 1-1 FT v QPR
Watford 40 44 -11 51 1-1 v Preston

Crystal Palace * 41 43 -3 43 1-1 FT v Middlesbrough
Plymouth 41 41 -16 42 2-1 v Doncaster
Peterborough 41 30 -27 41 2-3 v Newcastle

Sunday Mirror Chester Stern

The ghost of Crystal Palace returned to haunt Neil Warnock in the shape of Tom Soares, who he sold to Stoke when he was in charge of the Eagles.

The winger, on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, popped up to score the equaliser and robbed Warnock of his fourth home win since he taking charge at Loftus Road.

“Tom was always a bit of an enigma,” admitted QPR manager Warnock. “But he’s got great ability.”

“We should win games like that.

“It was probably the most frustrating afternoon for me since I’ve been at the club.

“If you’re a small full-back and let someone get a jump on you, you’ve got to do something – pull his shirt or something,” grinned Warnock about the equaliser.

“You could’ve got away with manslaughter today with that referee!”

QPR were superior during a dismal opening half, when goalkeeper Carl Ikeme didn’t have to make a single save.

Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt, on loan from Spurs, was in sparkling form for the hosts. He kept jinking past the defence and linking well with Hogan Ephraim.

And both had a hand in the opening goal on 23 minutes, when Lee Grant made a sharp save from Tamas Priskin’s angled drive to force a corner.

From the set piece Taarabt burst in to the box and found Ephraim, whose neat chip reached Alejandro Faurlin at the far post.

And the Argentinian hammered it home for his first goal for Rangers.

But after the interval, the hosts fluffed chances to extend their lead with Eddie Nolan twice clearing off the line.

And Priskin hit the bar, Peter Ramage went close plus Taarabt wasted opportunities by trying to dribble past the entire defence on his own.

QPR paid the price when the Owls replied on 77 minutes.

Jermaine Johnson and Leon Clarke, the two substitutes, combined well to send Tommy Spurr clear on the left wing.

And his cross picked out Soares, stealing in unmarked at the far post, to easily head home.

“We weren’t getting forward enough,” said Owls boss Alan Irvine.

“We had to just play our game or we had to come to do something about it – so we came to do something about it.”

www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/QPR-1-1-Sheffield-Wednesday-Tom-Soares-secures-Owls-a-point-to-frustrate-former-boss-Neil-Warnock-The-Sunday-Mirror-match-report-article379851.html

News of The World

SOARES POINT

TOM SOARES returned to haunt former boss Neil Warnock as Wednesday rallied to secure a vital point.

On-loan Soares, sold to Stoke by Warnock when the Rangers boss was at Crystal Palace, nodded the equaliser with 13 minutes left as the Owls extended their unbeaten run to six games.

Rangers will feel hard done-by after dominating possession for large chunks of the game.

They deservedly went in front in the 23rd minute. Wednesday half-cleared Adel Taarabt's corner but when the ball came back in, Argentinian Alejandro Faurlin rifled home his first goal for the club.

Rangers should have doubled their lead when Tamas Priskin's swivel and shot came back off the crossbar.

Warnock characteristically fumed that the officials were too lenient, saying: "You could have done anything today and not get booked. You could have got away with manslaughter. That's probably the most frustrated I've been since coming to the club.

"We should win games like that and I can't wait for the summer. We've got too many loan players."

Wednesday boss Alan Irvine started with a formation designed to counter the dangerous Taarabt.

But it rendered Wednesday punchless up front. And with the game slipping away, Irvine made two attacking substitutions and saw his team fashion a superb equaliser. Jermaine Johnson, out for three games with a hamstring injury, had only been on the pitch six minutes when he surged through the Rangers rearguard and released Tommy Spurr.

The full-back's cross was expertly headed home by Soares.

Wednesday are still just two points above the drop zone but Irvine has provided organisation and stability.

He said: "When I arrived we needed to win 11 games out of 23. That shows you where we were. Now we have lost one in eight but it's still a tough task. There will be issues resolved on the last day."
www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/match_reports/championship/769965/QPR-v-SHEFFIELD-WEDNESDAY-SOARES-POINT.html