Wayne Starts The Rout.......

Exeter 0-5 QPR

Rangers cup campaign started with a 350 mile round trip down to Devon to take on hosts Exeter City. Lee Brown brings you a review of how events unravelled.



The thought of three trips to the West Country in a week was never appealing but Me, Sam and Justin of the Henley Mob started off the first leg of the three at 3.30 and enjoyed what was an incredibly smooth trip down the M4 and M5 into Exeter without hitting any traffic at all on the way down. We arrived just before 6.30 and went on the search for a cash machine. This simple task would usually take two seconds but 10minutes later we were still on the search..... I've never known it to be so hard to find one when it's needed, but this was like the Crystal Maze! I was waiting for Richard O'Brien to jump out and tell me that if I didn't find one in the next 3minutes I would be automatically locked in Exeter until one of my team mates could buy me out with a crystal...... luckily that didn’t happen.
After getting the cash and indulging in a greasy KFC, we set on our way for the 5 minute walk to the ground where we were unsure of what kind of team or display we were going to witness from the R's tonight.
Once we got in the ground and found ourselves our spot where we could catch a good view and have no-one that could block our views in the pleasant St James Terracing we were housed in for the evening. We soon met up with Mr Michael Whelan (plus friend) and we were ready to see what delights that were going to be thrown at us.

813 Rangers fans travelled down to Devon for tonight’s encounter, well done to all those.

Jim Magilton made seven changes from Saturday's 1-1 draw with Blackpool. Connolly, Stewart, Leigertwood, Buzsaky, Ephraim, Vine and Agyemang came in for Ramage, Hall, Mahon, Rowlands, Balanta, Helguson and Taarabt. The first 3 moving to the bench, Rowlands missing out through injury, Helguson and Taarabt missed the game due to international call ups and Balanta wasn't included.

Team (from right to left) :- Cerny; Connolly, Stewart, Gorkss, Borrowdale; Routledge, Leigertwood, Buzsaky, Ephraim; Vine, Agyemang.
Subs - Putnins, Ramage, Hall, Alberti, Ainsworth, Mahon, Pellicori.

The game started in a lively fashion and we had a pretty even opening 10 minutes. The first chance fell to the visitors. A good cross from the right hand side from Matt Connolly found Vine at the back post, his header was looped in the air, from our angle it looked as if it was going miles over, but we were surprised to see the ball drop down and hit the top of the crossbar and went over.
Exeter then started to knock the ball around with some good passing football and they soon created chances of their own. Three chances fell to Marcus Stewart, two of which tested Cerny but if he directed any of his efforts wide of Cerny rather than at him then it's more than likely he would've scored with one of them. As it was none of them troubled Cerny and the clean sheet remained intact.... for now.
Exeter continued to knock the ball around with considered ease and begun to control the midfield. Leigertwood and Buzsaky were mere spectators until the 35-40 minute mark and were really struggling to make any kind of impact on the game. Another Exeter chance come along in the form of a 25 yard effort but Cerny once again dealt with it with considerable ease.
Rangers enjoyed the final 5 minutes of the first half in ascendancy and Buzsaky enjoyed more possession in the centre of the field and was looking to feed in Routledge and Vine, who moved wide for the last 15 minutes of the first half, in the wide positions and trouble the Exeter full backs. This nearly happened, one cross flew in from the right hand side and one of the Exeter defenders headed the ball in the direction of their own goal but it ended up on the right side of the goal from his point of view. From the resulting corner Stewart and a header saved.

Half time then came and saved us!! It was a fairly even half but if I'm honest Exeter shaded it and had the better of the chances. Magilton definitely had a tough half time team talk to endure and really needed to kick us up the backsides to make sure that we wouldn't have a performance like that in the second half.

Exeter came out in the second half and played the same good, fluid football that troubled Rangers in the first half and again started winning the midfield battle. Another Stewart effort went begging and let the visitors off once again.
I exchanged a few texts with Gobi at this point about how weak our midfield were looking and how we needed a leader and a battler in the centre of the midfield so we could start to win the battle and begin to take the game to Exeter. As these texts were exchanged this happened..........
Leigertwood won the ball in midfield and spotted the run of Routledge, he lifted a ball over the Exeter defence which set Routledge clear. Having beaten the offside trap it was a straight race between Routledge and Paul Jones, the ball bounced and Routledge got there first and neatly dinked his effort over Jones and into the empty net in slow motion. 53 minutes, 1-0!!
Goes to show how fans think they know everything..... clearly not! Ha-ha.
Despite conceding the goal Exeter to be fair to them continued to take the game to Rangers and soon nearly got their reward. A corner from the right hand side was met by Craig McAllister, a former Rangers trialist, his header was powered towards goal and was destined to be the equaliser, and unfortunately the header was once again straight at Cerny.
Shortly after this chance it was the R's that hit the attack in the form of Agyemang. He took on his defender and threaded a ball through two defenders to the oncoming Routledge who found space just inside the box, he unleashed a shot from a tightish angle which found the back of the net. 61 minutes, 2-0!
What were we all worrying about? The game had been turned on its head in 8 minutes.
Three minutes later Rangers had a corner on the left hand side. Buzsaky floated in a ball to the back post where Gorkss fired a header at goal, it hit the defender on the line, and from our angle the ball crossed the line, but the linesman flagged and signalled for a deliberate handball on the line rather than give the goal. Goldbourne was sent off for the handball and Routledge was given the ball to try and clinch his hat-trick. The penalty was put away with ease and Routledge grabbed the match ball with an 11 minute hat trick. 64 minutes, 3-0!
Routledge was immediately substituted and was given a good reception by the R's fans, he was replaced by Gareth Ainsworth. Rowan Vine also came off and he was replaced by debutant Alessandro Pellicori.
With the extra man advantage Rangers took the game by the throat and really began to assert their authority on the game. Soon the Superhoops started to play the smooth passing game that Magilton has tried to install in the team.
Agyemang then came off and was replaced by Mahon. We then adapted a 4-4-1-1 formation with Pellicori up top on his own with Buzsaky supporting him in his most effective role.
Ainsworth was soon in the action after coming on. Ephraim sent in a deep ball to the back post about 8 yards out, Ainsworth looped his header towards the top left corner and beat the keeper but a defender was on the line to clear for a corner, if he wasn't there then Pellicori would've been on hand to nod home from all of a yard out.
Pellicori did then get his first chance of the game after running clear of the defence but blazed his effort over. Luckily the offside flag had already gone up.
Pellicori's movement and positioning for every ball that entered the box was worrying the Exeter defence and was also enabling Buzsaky to finally show us what we know he can do.
On 85 minutes we saw the fourth goal of the game.
Buzsaky swung in a far post cross once again and this was again met by Gorkss who couldn't put any power on his header but the ball fell to Stewart 4yards out with his back to goal, he kicked the ball back over his head and found the unmarked Pellicori and he fired home his volley from 4yards out, grabbing his first competitive goal for Rangers and no-one can say he didn't deserve it. Hopefully people will give him a bit more of a chance after seeing his performance tonight.
Rangers however hadn't finished. Ephraim was wide on the left hand side, cut in and curled in a sublime effort from 18 yards out. This was by far the best goal of the night and completed the scoring for tonight’s game.




QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Leigertwood, Routledge (Ainsworth 65), Vine (Pellicori 65), Buzsaky, Agyemang (Mahon 71), Gorkss, Connolly, Ephraim, Borrowdale.

Subs: Putnins, Ramage, Hall, Alberti.

Goals: Routledge (53 , 61, 64), Pellicori (85), Ephraim (89).

The Mobs Man Of The Match - Wayne Routledge. Who else!


In summary the score line did flatter us a hell of a lot but it was pleasing to see us still create chances and finally take them. Exeter caused all sorts of problems for our midfield and if they had done like we did and took any one of them then we really could be reading a different story. Improvements to be made but the positives to take out of the game are - a clean sheet, Connolly looking solid as ever, Routledge's hat trick and constant threat and finally, Pellicori coming on and showing the fans what he is capable of and hopefully staking a claim for a start in one of the coming games.

We shall look forward to the second trip down to Devon on Saturday.

U R'SSSSSSSSS

R's on the Road........... To Exeter City.

Lee Brown brings you some info, hints and tips for those R's fans making the first away trip of the season down to Exeter City.



The League Cup campaign begins for all the Football League Clubs in the first midweek games of the season. Rangers first test of the competition comes in the form of League 1 new boys Exeter City.

The Stadium.

St James Park. Current Capacity – 8,830

Having looked at pictures of the ground, thank you Google images, I can say that I am looking forward to the trip down to the South-West.
Two of the stands have been recently developed. The Flybe Stand was built up in 2001 and seats 2116 fans. Next to the Flybe Stand, behind one of the goals, is the Big Bank Terrace. This was built up in 2000 and holds nearly 4000 fans in there. As you again move around you get to a very old looking Grandstand. Having researched this it seems as if this was originally built in 1908 when Exeter City successfully applied and gained membership for the Southern League and replaced Tottenham Hotspur in the process. This Grandstand has since had wind shields fixed on one side of the stand. This holds 1690 fans in there, of which we have been allocated 150 of them. Finally we get to the St James Road Terrace. This looks very shallow behind one of the goals. You will be able to look behind the terrace and clearly see the houses that are behind it. This will hold 1053 Rangers fans; let’s pray that we have good weather that day!

Before St James Park was built as a sports facility it was previously a site that was rented out for fattening pigs by Lady Anne Clifford back in 1654. All the proceeds that she made were donated to a charity set up to pay for the apprenticeship of a poor child from the parish of St Stephen. This arrangement was supposed to be renewed yearly until the worlds end.

Exeter City was formed by two others teams that were local rivals. These were Exeter United and St. Sidwell’s United. Exeter United were formed in 1890 and played until 1904 at St James Park and after losing to St Sidwell’s 3-1 the two teams agreed that they should merge as one and this was the birth of Exeter City. The continued to play at St James Park and inherited St Sidwell’s kit colours of green and white. In 1910 Exeter City changed the colours of their kit after winning only 2 of their opening 11 games and deemed the current kit unlucky, they swapped over to res and white stripes and to this day they still wear the colours proudly.



The History between the teams.

At Exeter City (29)

Exeter 10
QPR 9
Draw 10

The last competitive fixture between the two teams was way back on 12th March 1966 when Rangers were 1-0 winners at Loftus Road. The last 4 games at Exeter have ended in draws, 3 of them 0-0 and one 2-2.

How to get there.

By Car: -
For those of you with the benefit of having a sat nav. Punch in the postcode EX4 6PX.

For those without and prefer doing it the old fashioned way then here is a rough guide for you.
Once you get onto the M5 follow it all the way down to junction29. From here follow signs for the City Centre which take you on the A3015 and B3183. The road you will end up on is Heavitree Road. You will then approach a large roundabout, take the 4th exit which will take you onto Western Way. At the next roundabout take the 3rd exit onto Old Tiverton Road and then take a left onto St James Road and you will arrive at the destination.
There is street parking available but it is a little way from the ground as there is a local residents scheme at the nearby houses. I would advice leaving half an hour early just so you can find somewhere to park and then navigate your way to the ground by foot.

By Train: -

Most trains will arrive at either Exeter Central or Exeter St Davids stations. From either station you can grab a local train down to St James Park or you can walk through the City Centre to the ground.

Pubs 'n' Grub.

Having read reviews by other fans it does seem as if the Exeter fans are very friendly and welcoming and there are no real no-go areas from what I have read. A few places that have been given good reviews are – The Social Club which is at the ground, The Victoria which is situated down Victoria Road behind the Grandstand, and finally the Bowling Green pub which is up Blackboy Road, just off of the Old Tiverton Road and is roughly a quarter of a mile from the ground.

QPR Held at Home as Season Begins...

QPR 1-1 Blackpool

A rare if not a tad fortunate goal from Peter Ramage, earned Rangers a share of the points and it was the least we deserved, as the new season began at Loftus Road.



Well, firstly I will say how great it was to be back, but there was definitely a feeling of 'same old Rangers' about things, as PK went to LR this morning to pick up mine and his duplicate season tickets, as they had not been delivered and judging by the size of the queue outside the box office, we were certainly not the only ones...

Other than that, all went smoothly and the gang, including Mick, DJ, PK, Corp, Leeroy, Sam, Justin, Sophie, myself and California Hoop, or should I say, 'Greybeard', descended on the Springbok for our pre match entertainment and from here, we got in the ground in plenty of time to pay our respects to the late, Bobby Robson, R.I.P.

Moving onto the game itself and again, it was another feeling of 'same old Rangers'. The football was good and chances were aplenty - the best when Routledge breezed past Stephen Crainey and sent in a low cross towards Heidar Helguson, who scuffed a shot against the crossbar. But on 38 minutes, the R's were left cursing their missed chances when a long ball into the box was laid off by Gary Taylor-Fletcher to Burgess, who fired through Borrowdale's legs and into the bottom corner.

Blackpool had obviously come for a draw and in the second half, were happy to protect what they had as the R's dominance continued. Rachubka saved Fitz Hall's looping header and Angelo Balanta's attempt to force home the rebound was blocked. Akos Buzsaky and Rowan Vine came off the bench and Buzsaky went close with a long-range free-kick.

But as the game went on, Rangers seemed to struggle to break down Blackpool and were dealt another blow when skipper Rowlands - recently back from knee ligament damage - hobbled off with another injury, which unfortunately, although not confirmed, is reported to be quiet serious.

As time ticked on, it looked that it was wasn't going to be Rangers day when Vine hopelessly shot wide after substitute Patrick Agyemang's left-wing cross found him in space. But the goal finally came on 86 minutes when Ramage received the ball on the right and his cross, come shot, found it's way past the keeper and into the net and Loftus Road erupted.

It was no more than the R's deserved as we then went in search of a winner, but couldn't find their way past a stubborn Blackpool defence for a second time and the points were shared.

QPR: Cerny, Ramage, Mahon, Hall, Routledge, Helguson (Vine 56), Gorkss, Rowlands (Agyemang 60), Balanta (Buzsaky 56), Borrowdale, Taarabt. Subs not used: Putnins, Stewart, Connolly, Ephraim.

Lofty's Man of the Match - Peter Ramage

In summary, despite the disappointment of the result, the effort and performance was pretty good and Rangers kept plugging away against a hard working Blackpool side. But for the third time, I will mention the 'same old' thing, as our lack of a striker again was evident for all to see. But all in all, it was a half decent game with plenty of good football from QPR and I refuse to be negative just yet.

The gang and I finished welcoming in the new season with a visit to our old haunt, the British Queen for a good few drinks before we went on our merry way. It's good to be back...

Lee's Latest - Southampton Friendly Report...

QPR 3-0 Southampton

Saturday saw the last friendly before the big kick off and seeing as Lee has attended and reported back from every friendly, on home soil, I thought it would be fitting t let him finish off in what is another excellent account of Saturday's game! Thanks Lee!! Unfortunately, it's back to my drivel next week...



In the final pre season friendly before the big kick off in the Championship next weekend QPR played hosts to Southampton.

Joining me and the 3,164 in attendance for today was Lofty, PK, California Hoop, Iceman and little Aaron. Unfortunately we were missing Corp but hopefully next week the whole mob will be reunited as one once again.

The whole of the Loft and Ellerslie road were closed for today’s friendly so we settled for sitting in the South Africa Road stand for a change. Luckily the view wasn't too bad but it will be nice to return to the comforts of the Upper Loft next weekend and we can say we have returned home for the start of the new season.

With the pitch looking better than ever, Jim Magilton chose a line up which most of us could've predicted. Gary Borrowdale came in for Matt Connolly, who took a knock in the Wycombe friendly on Tuesday night, and Andy Marshall stepped in for Radek Cerny due to illness.

Team (from right to left): - Marshall; Ramage, Hall, Gorkss, Borrowdale; Routledge, Rowlands, Mahon, Balanta; Vine, Agyemang. Subs: - Putnins, Brown, Stewart, Ainsworth, Alberti, Ephraim, Taarabt, Pellicori, Helguson.

From the start PK and California Hoop were on Borrowdale watch to see if my reports on him so far were accurate. In the opening 10minutes Rangers did pass the ball around with ease and it certainly seems as if the players are now settling into the system well and playing what can be some very attractive football. We were looking to pass around before getting out wide to Routledge and Balanta, who can cause problems for any defence and as the game wore on this was well proven.

It was just before the 10 minute mark that Rangers first real probing attack took place. After good work down the left hand side Agyemang collected the ball and managed to win a corner. Routledge took the corner from the left hand side and sent in a teasing ball in which Mahon just missed at the front post but following him in was Gorkss and he rose the highest to nod a powerful header past Kelvin Davis. 1-0!

Rangers continued to play some good passing football and the main threat was coming down the left hand side with Borrowdale and Balanta working well as a unit down that left flank in both attacking as well as a defensive partnership. In fact it was those two individuals that combined and fed in Rowan Vine and if it wasn’t for an excellent last minute challenge then he would've been clean through. Rowlands and Mahon were once again working well in the centre of the field, both were biting at the heels of the Southampton midfielders and pressured them into rushing passes which ultimately helped us gain possession. It was from this pressure that the second goal came around.

Rowlands, just inside the Rangers half on the right hand side, played a delightful cross field ball to the feet of Balanta. He ran at the defence and Borrowdale followed him up the left flank. Balanta passed to Mahon who fed Borrowdale in on the left wing, his cross wasn't the greatest but it caused a mix up between the Southampton defenders and this allowed the ball to drop just inside the 18yard box and Balanta was the first to react and beat the defender to the ball and in doing so placed a lovely right footed effort into the bottom corner. 34 minutes gone and Rangers were 2-0 up and looking very good value for the lead.

Half time soon came around and it was time to try out the delights on offer downstairs at the kiosks. Me, Lofty and California Hoop all opted for the beer option, which personally I thought tasted horrible. PK went for the bitter option and again I don’t think that received a thumbs up either.

Lofty decided to be daring and try the brand new 'Yorkshire wrap' option. This come in either beef or chicken, Lofty went for the beef. It’s a Yorkshire pudding wrapped up with meat running through the middle of it. It smelt good, Lofty gave a good review on it taste wise, it’s just a tad expensive though at £3.50. Little Aaron had chips and a rollover hotdog which he seemed to polish off without any complaints so we have another winner there. Iceman went for the Pukka Cornish pasty (and yes Pukka Pies are back in the building) and he throughly enjoyed that. So it looks as if the catering department is on the up. As the weeks go on I’m sure we will sample as much of the grub as we can.

Before we knew it the second half had begun, and we missed the first 5 minutes of it, oooopppss. When we got back to our seats we noticed that the only change at half time was Helguson on in place of the unimpressive Agyemang. Rangers enjoyed a lot of possession and were still creating chances. Balanta had an effort fly over the bar and a Vine effort was never in danger of troubling Kelvin Davis. It was soon after that effort that Vine came off and on came Taarabt and was shortly followed by Fitz Hall going off, it looked like he was struggling with a bit of a knock, Damion Stewart replaced him and Routledge coming off and Ephraim on.

A minute after Stewart came on we had a quick burst of action. Taarabt after some good work wriggled his way through and was 25yards out, he had a simple ball that could've played in Balanta on the left hand side and put him through on goal, instead he opted for the greedy option and his effort was never endangering the keeper. However he had a chance of redemption. Again after some very good work he took on and beat 3 defenders and placed a delightful shot into the bottom right hand corner. Davis had no chance. 3-0.

Four further substitutions were made, Ramage, Borrowdale, Mahon and Balanta came off with Ainsworth, Brown, Alberti and Pellicori coming on. We now reverted to playing what looked like a 4-3-3 formation with Alberti, Rowlands and Ephraim as the midfield 3 and Taarabt was playing just behind Helguson and Pellicori.

Within minutes we had our first action. It was Taarabt again who was causing havoc, he found Helguson on the left edge of the box, he could've easily played a ball into the 18yard box where Pellicori would've been there to meet it, but instead Helguson unleashed a shot whilst off balance which went high into the empty upper loft. We witnessed Pellicori's first real effort on goal, well if u don’t include his first effort which went very high into the upper loft, a ball came in from the right hand side and Pellicori put a decent header on target but it wasn't good enough to beat Davis.

The full time whistle soon blew after that and the pre season friendlies come to a close with Rangers not losing a domestic friendly and only losing one of the 8 arranged fixtures. Balanta was the top scorer with 3 and looking like he has forced his way into a starting position for next weeks Blackpool fixture.

A quick individual round up.....

Marshall- Commanded his box very well. Must be signed after all we have seen as he will be excellent cover for Cerny.

Ramage- Kept it simple. Gave the ball away very sloppily at times but we know he will do a lot better as the confidence is gained.

Borrowdale- His best pre season performance. Can’t really pick at anything and like Ramage kept things simple and done ok. His positioning still concerns me though.

Hall- Had a very good game, always looked to keep the ball on the floor and was composed. Game cut short due to a niggle by the looks of it.

Gorkss- Scored a great header, his first in R's colours. Was very composed. Covered Borrowdale at left back when he was out of position.

Routledge- Looked good going forward and it was also nice to see him track back a lot more often to help Ramage out.

Rowlands- Tenacious in the middle. Was snapping at the heels of everyone and looked like a leader out there. Man of the Match.

Mahon- Battled well in the middle with Rowlands. This looks to be the opening centre midfield partnership for this season.

Balanta- Was exceptional once again. His trickery causes defenders all sorts of problems and it looks to me as if this will be the season that he should really assert himself in the first team. Narrowly pipped to man of the match

Vine- Wasn't his best performance. Looked the more lively of the front two. Ended up on the floor on a few too many occasions. Will need to do better next week.

Agyemang- Didn't really float my boat at all today and will need to buck his ideas up if he is to be a regular starter this season.

Helguson- Looks short of fitness to me. Had an awful effort on goal when he should've crossed to Pellicori. Work ethic was ok.

Taarabt- Scored a beauty. Was a bit greedy at times but the impact we made on the game was brilliant. Great things to come from him this season.

Stewart- Done well, had one little lapse but he did recover it well. My preferred partner to Gorkss if Connolly doesn’t play there.

Ephraim- Done well when he came on. Will have a part to play when injuries and suspensions kick in. Got massive potential but it’s hard to fit him in with the other quality player we have at the club.

Pellicori- Won the majority of his headers and showed good movement. Had one woeful effort and another which wasn't far off finding the back of the net. Once settled he will be a big threat for us.

Ainsworth- Came on at right back and done well although he wasn't really tested. Will be a good impact player for us.

Alberti- Didn’t really have much to do in this appearance. But no news is always good news.

Brown- Looked very comfortable when he came on. Slotted into the back 4 well and wasn't caught out at anytime. Will be interesting to see if he gets given a chance at some point this season.

So that’s the pre season over and done with. It’s been a pleasure keeping everyone up to date. Lofty will be returning next week as normal service resumes.
All that remains to be said is enjoy the new season, I’m sure there are going to be a lot of twists and turns but let’s enjoy the ride in what looks to be a very exciting journey ahead of us......
U R'SSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Welcome Alessandro Pellicori...

QPR have today signed Italian striker, Alessandro Pellicori on a 3 year deal.



The 28 year old striker has been on trial with QPR throughout the pre season campaign and the R's have taken full advantage of the dire financial situation at Avellino, who were relegated last season, to pick up their top scorer for the forthcoming season. Of his new striker, Jim Magilton told the Official QPR Website;

'Alessandro has done well with us during his trial period. He is a natural goal scorer and we are delighted to add him to the already healthy attacking options we have at our disposal. He will take time to settle over here but we are really excited by his arrival.'

Good Luck Alessandro and WELCOME to QPR!!!

Lee's Latest - Kettering Friendly Report...

Kettering 0-2 QPR

Again, my thanks go to Lee Brown for another excellent report, this time from a very rainy Kettering...



Rangers were on their travels for the second time in 24hours, this time the destination was Rockingham Road, the home of Kettering Town.

Jim Magilton took a squad with a mixed bag of first team players, youth and three trialists (Marshall, Vignal and Pellicori) as he looked to give as many players valuable playing time ready for the start of the new season.

A new experimental formation of 4-1-3-2 was used with the following players :- Marshall; Ainsworth, Stewart, Borrowdale, Vignal; Oastler; Alberti, Taarabt, Ephraim; Helguson, Pellicori Subs- Putnins, Brown, Harris, Rose, Davenport, Parker, German

Within minutes of kick off the heavens opened and the downpour we witnessed was almost monsoon like and lasted a good 8-10 minutes. This downpour created very difficult playing conditions which affected the quality of football for the remainder of the game.

Despite the difficult conditions Rangers still tried to play the passing game that Jim Magilton and the coaching staff have installed into the team and was working with good effect. On the 10 minute mark Oastler and Taarabt exchanged passes before setting Vignal free on the left hand side. Vignal put in a cross to the back post and Helguson met it heading the ball into the ground and beating former R's keeper Lee Harper.

The next 10minutes were fairly scrappy and fairly even. Rangers carried on trying to play slick football on the sticky playing surface. Oastler was playing in a holding midfield role, receiving possession every time he could and has looking to play in one of our attacking midfielders before trying to set off on another counter attack. The experimental back four with Ainsworth playing right back (as he did for the reserves last season), Stewart was as dominating as ever, Borrowdale was slowly getting used to playing centre back and Vignal followed up where he left off last night and was running up and down the left flank at any opportunity he could.

Rangers next attacking threat came on 23 minutes. Taarabt found Ephraim who ventured into the Kettering half taking on 2 opposing players and saw the advancing run of Pellicori. Pellicori took the ball in his stride with some great control which took him clear of both defenders and bared down on goal and his unstoppable effort from close range made it 2-0 and Rangers really were cruising.

The last 20 minutes of the half were played in midfield and it was the Superhoops that enjoyed the lion share of the possession. Taarabt was enjoying himself in his free role and was given his fair share of the ball but he often took one touch too much or was closed down extremely quickly. Half time soon come along and it’s fair to say Jim and John would have been fairly happy with the players efforts over the 45minutes.

There was only one change at half time, Vignal coming off as he played over half an hour last night as well. Lee Brown was his replacement.

If I'm perfectly honest it’s going to be hard to pick up the key points of the second half as it’s pretty difficult but I'm going to try...

Ten minutes inside the second period Helguson and Pellicori linked up well which sent the Italian clear. Unfortunately his effort flew wide of Lee Harper's goal. The last memorable action of the half was a very dangerous challenge on Ainsworth. In true Gaz style he picked himself off the floor and run the knock off. The usual mass substitution frenzy came upon both teams which broke play up as the game petered through the closing stages of the match.

In summary the game was ruined by the early downpour and we never really show the true potential of the team. Both goals were very well taken. Vignal showed good potential going forward but wasn’t tested defensively. It was a good run out but in fairness it would've been nice to see us in full flow in better conditions.

An individual round up of performances......

Marshall- Had very little to do but he was very vocal in organising his defence. If he is signed up he will provide excellent back up to Cerny.

Ainsworth- A typical Gaz performance, full of passion and commitment. He is an excellent example to all the youngsters. It would be so good if everyone had his desire to win.

Stewart- Was pretty solid at the back and led the line pretty well.

Borrowdale- Didn’t do much wrong. Mis-placed a few passes but overall wasn't too bad.

Vignal- Was excellent going forward and provided an excellent cross for Helguson's goal.

Oastler- Played fairly well as a holding midfielder. Always looks for the simple ball and never panics under pressure.

Alberti- Wasn't his best game, came into the game a lot more towards the end.

Taarabt- Had a lot of possession but often took a touch too much. Wasn't his best game.

Ephraim- Played ok. Was full of running. Played the assist in the 2nd goal.

Helguson- Played ok. Put his chance away well. Looked to get involved wherever he could.

Pellicori- Done fairly well. Took his goal extremely well. Will do better with the likes of Buzsaky, Rowlands and co in the same team as him.

Brown- Attacked the left hand side well during the second half. Wasn’t tested out defensively.

German- Was full of running but had no real sight at goal.

Harris- Looks as if right back isn't his strongest position. Will be interesting to see him progress in the reserves at centre back this season .

Davenport- Done well when he came on. Decent prospect for the future.

Parker- Attacked the left hand side well and his pace is frightening. Good future ahead of him.

Rose- Done well when he come on.

Lee's Latest - Wycombe Friendly Report...

Wycombe 1-2 QPR

Once again, big thanks to Lee Brown who brings you his report from last night's friendly win over Wycombe Wanderers.



In the first of 3 friendlies this week, all of which covered here on Lofty Heights, QPR took the short trip down the M40 to League 1 new boys Wycombe Wanderers.

Roughly (a rough guess by the Henley mob) 1,300 travelling fans made the trip to Adams Park to witness the event unfold.

Jim Magilton again named a strong squad as he begins to get a rough idea of which starting 11 for the start of the season. In fact it was the same starting 11 from the previous friendly at Oxford United on Friday night.

Gregory Vignal joined the squad on a weeks trial and took his place in the squad as he looks to earn a contract with the Superhoops. The left back has previously played for Montpellier, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Lens. He has also had loan spells at Bastia, Rennes, Espanyol, Rangers, Kaiserslautern as well as Southampton last season.

Team (from right to left):- Cerny; Ramage, Hall, Gorkss, Connolly; Routledge, Mahon, Rowlands, Balanta; Vine, Agyemang. Subs- Putnins, Alberti, Brown, Oastler, Vignal, Parker, German, Taarabt.

Barely had the game begun and the Rangers fans were celebrating. After some good passing Routledge found himself out on the right hand side and put over a delightful ball which found the new goal machine of our team Gavin Mahon and he put his diving header away from all of 4 yards out, leaving opposing 'keeper Jamie Young with no chance.

Rangers were playing the slick passing football that we have got used to seeing over the last few pre season games and Angelo Balanta was again causing all sorts of problems for his former team mates.

On 8 minutes Wycombe had their first attempt on goal, which Cerny dealt with pretty easily. It was from there that Rangers launched their next counter attack. Balanta broke away down the left hand side and fed in Vine. Vine crossed in from the left hand side, it was half cleared to Agyemang who took one touch and drilled home is effort from 10 yards. 9 minutes gone and it was already 2-0.

Rangers really were in control, passing the ball around with ease and looking to break away with pace once we found the space in behind the Wycombe midfield. It really was all Rangers for all the 45 minutes, Wycombe had no real attacking threat to test the defence which looked pretty comfortable throughout the half. Rowlands and Mahon really bossed the midfield well and this looks like the centre midfield partnership to begin the season with. Routledge was causing problems down the right hand side, Balanta was excellent once again causing all sorts of problems for the Wycombe defenders. Vine and Agyemang do work well together up front. Vine is a very good provider for Agyemang and they do have a near telepathic connection when they are both firing.

We were treated to a half time penalty shoot-out from Seer Green under 8s team, 4 of which were wearing QPR shirts. I am glad to say that all of them did score their penalties in front of the large away following. The kids were given huge cheers and hopefully given them a fond memory of their 15minutes of fame.

So the second half started and Rangers started exactly as they left the first half, in complete control. Jim and John really have got the troops playing good football, all on the floor at a quick tempo.

In the opening 10minutes of the second half Mahon had a 25 yard effort go just wide and that man Balanta placed a shot wide when he really should've hit the target. On 60 minutes the first Rangers substitution came around and it was unplanned. Connolly picked up a slight knock during a challenge so Magilton replaced him with the trialist Vignal.

This failed to halt Rangers dominance, in fact it just added another dimension to their attack. Vignal was looking to attack the left hand side at any given opportunity and was practically hugging the touchline. Balanta and Agyemang had efforts that were fired wide as Rangers starting to take the foot off the gas.

Vine was replaced by Taarabt on 68 minutes to try and liven up proceedings and he was up to his usual tricks and causing problems for the opposing defenders but Rangers were just toying around in the midfield and were not in any danger at all. On 83 minutes Wycombe grabbed a goal back. A free kick on the right hand side was drifted over to the far post, Michael Duberry headed back across goal and found Luke Oliver unmarked and he tapped home from a few yards out.

Rangers made 3 more changes taking off Routledge, Rowlands and Agyemang. In their places came Parker, Alberti and German. The final minutes were played out with Rangers passing around with ease, yet they did not create any open opportunities.

Overall it was by far the best performance of pre season. We looked comfortable on the ball, passed the ball around with ease and for the first time we actually got out of first gear and asserted our authority on lower league opposition.

This is how I rated the individuals...

Cerny- Had little to do and looked good.

Ramage- Kept things simple. Attacked the right hand side when we were going forward. Made a few mistakes but nothing to worry about.

Hall- Had a pretty good game. Only 1 silly foul and minimized the long ball tonight. Got skinned once but apart from that he was ok.

Gorkss- A non dramatic performance. Didn’t put a foot wrong.

Connolly- Comfortable at left back. Really would prefer him at centre back.

Routledge- Lively, created enough problems for the Wycombe defence. Didn’t run at people as often as usual but didn’t need to.

Mahon- Took his goal well. Hussled the midfield well, looks a good partner for Rowlands to start off the season.

Rowlands- Put in another good shift on his return to full fitness. Bossed around and looks to be well on his way back.

Balanta- Fantastic once again. Magilton will find it hard to resist not starting him off against Blackpool. Man of the match.

Vine- Floated around and linked up well with the wide men.

Agyemang- Took his goal well. Drifted in and out of the game to much.

Vignal- Made a good start. Was very attacking and put in 2 or 3 decent crosses. Defensively looked sound.

Taarabt- Tricky, linked up with the midfield well, would like to see him get longer so we can properly judge him as a centre forward.

Parker, Alberti and German- These 3 were not on the field long enough to really make an impact. Parker had one decent run down the right, German chased around and Alberti put in a few decent challenges.