OnThisDay in Football.Flashbacks

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Also 8 years ago: January 22, 2005: Coventry 1 QPR 2: Cureton and Injury time winner by Santos

Royce, Edghill, Padula (Bignot), Davies, Shittu, Ainsworth (Rowlands), Santos, Gallen, Cook, Furlong, Cureton (Thorpe) unused subs: Day, Rose

Scorers: Cureton (17), Santos (90)

QPR Official Site

Coventry City vs QPR 1 - 2
Date: 22/01/2005 Venue: Highfield Road Attendance:
16,595 Referee: M Clattenburg

A controversial injury time winner from Georges Santos at Coventry earned Rangers their first away win since October 2nd.

Referee Mark Clattenburg followed his Old Trafford howler, when he failed to award Tottenham a clear goal, by adjudging that a last gasp Santos strike had been bundled over the line.

The Sky Blues were absolutely furious and if it was a valid goal, it certainly took a great many people in the stadium by surprise.

Controversy aside, Rangers had dominated the first half and deservedly led at the interval. Coventry came right back at the visitors in the second half and Andy Morrell's equaliser appeared to be the last word.

That was until Santos' late contribution.

The first chance of the game actually fell to Coventry and came with only two minutes on the clock when a ball through the midfield from Michael Doyle found Gary McSheffrey haring goalwards. Only a well-timed tackle from Dan Shittu prevented the Sky Blues striker from testing Simon Royce.

But Rangers soon settled to their task and took control of the game's opening exchanges.

The Superhoops' first sight of goal came five minutes later when a neat move down the left involving Jamie Cureton and Paul Furlong allowed Gareth Ainsworth to drift inside from the right and unleash a shot straight at Luke Steele.

Then, with 10 minutes played, a Furlong effort was deflected behind for a corner from which Dan Shittu powered a header just over. When Luke Steele flapped at a cross under pressure from Shittu a minute later it was clear that the home side were rattled and their fears were realised on 14 minutes when the visitors took the lead.

A long throw-in from the right was controlled by ex-Coventry striker Furlong and laid in to the path of Jamie Cureton who drilled the ball past Steele from 12 yards out. Having grabbed a stunning hat-trick in the reverse fixture at Loftus Road in September, this was his fourth league goal of the season - all scored against the Sky Blues.

Highfield Road, already subdued, fell deathly quiet and it wasn't until the 27th minute, when a Stern John effort was pushed behind by Royce that the crowd awoke from their stupor. Dean Leacock then headed over from the resulting corner.

Otherwise, Rangers continued to maintain their control on the game and Steele needed to be alert a minute later when a wayward header from Leacock almost allowed in the alert Georges Santos.

Five minutes later further Sky Blues hesitancy allowed Cureton to let fly with a snap shot from the edge of the area which arrowed only narrowly wide of Steele's right hand post.

Rangers continued to press and with five minutes of the half remaining Ainsworth let fly from wide on the right only to see Steele parry his strike. Livewire Cureton stretched to meet the rebound but couldn't quite make contact.

Two minutes later, Cureton found himself in acres of space but could only fire a shot straight at Steele with the home defence all at sea. Rangers were in total command and the half time whistle could not come quickly enough for the Sky Blues.

But within seconds of the restart, Coventry substitute Dele Adebola hit a firm strike straight at Royce and although Rangers were soon back on the offensive, with Gareth Ainsworth floating in a cross that was only fractionally too high for Jamie Cureton, Coventry had come out a different side.

With McSheffrey now on the left hand side of midfield, the home side were striving to put a woeful first half behind them.

The presence of Adebola up fron clearly added some fresh impetus to the Sky Blues and it became obvious that the visitors were going to have a far tougher battle on their hands in the second period.

The home side forced two corners in quick succession and from the second, Andy Morrell rose highest to head home the equaliser. Having been clearly second best for long periods Coventry were suddenly back in the game and it was Rangers who were now on the back foot.

The game was balanced on a knife-edge and midway through the second half Rangers spurned a great opportunity to turn things back in their favour. A delightful through ball from Santos allowed Cureton to race on goal with only the keeper to beat. Unfortunately his first touch was heavy, allowing Steele to gather.

The visitors had weathered the storm that arrived after Coventry's equaliser and although they weren't enjoying anything like the same amount of possession this remained a game that Rangers knew could yet be won.

On 70 minutes Gareth Ainsworth intercepted a loose pass from Stephen Hughes and struck a fierce drive that Steele fingertipped over the bar as both sides searched for a vital second goal.

Seven minute later a fracas between McSheffrey and Ainsworth earned both players a yellow card - the last action for the Rangers man who was then replaced by Martin Rowlands along with Cureton who came off for Tony Thorpe.

But it was Coventry who could so easily have taken the lead with only five minutes remaining when Andy Morrell's point blank header was powered straight at Royce. Moments later Steele stretched to gather a Kevin Gallen strike as the game swung from end to end.

The game appeared to be heading for adraw but in injury time, it all changed and Rangers' travelling fans celebrated long and loud.

Coventry: Steele, Carey, Staunton, Williams, Leacock, Morrell, Doyle, Hughes, Wood (Adebola), McSheffrey, John (Johnson)
unused subs: Shearer, Whing, Jorgensen

Scorers: Williams (59)

Bookings: McSheffrey, Carey

Rangers: Royce, Edghill, Padula (Bignot), Davies, Shittu, Ainsworth (Rowlands), Santos, Gallen, Cook, Furlong, Cureton (Thorpe) unused subs: Day, Rose

Scorers: Cureton (17), Santos (90)

Bookings: Davies, Ainsworth

Referee: M Clattenburg

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