The Lads headed to Loftus Road safe in the knowledge that we'd still be top by 5pm, but with Reggie's warning words about the complacency such a situation often brings ringing in their ears...and ours. That we brought back a point was down to two things: firstly, our failure to score for the first time this season (and not really looking likely to) and secondly, QPR looking less likely to score than Will Grigg and less likely to produce a decent final ball than Monty the dog off the Bishop bus. A half decent side would at least have made Moore's afternoon uncomfortable, but QPR are nowhere near half decent in the opposition"s half.
Getting the cheapest train seemed like a good idea, but it did mean spending the first leg to Darlo in the company of loads of mags. I even sat next to one, but as he was with me at Wembley in '73 (before he nailed his colours to the wrong mast) I had an excuse. Most sports fans on the 1003 from Darlo were off to Twickers, complete with champagne, smoked salmon, and expensive knitwear. I did find a fellow Sunderland lad to discuss Clarke-Salter, Dinner, and QPR's star man Colback (red card last season against us and more recently for abusing officials twice in as a few minutes). According to Hoops fans, Luke is our most feared player, wishing they'd signed him when they had the chance. Presumably they heard he'd been swimming in the north sea yesterday.
After linking up with the Durham lads in Hammersmith, where discussions involved the wrongness of crisps made with owt but taties. I disagreed. In came the team news , and no sign of Rigg, as rumoured. Having negotiated the circuitous route to our turnstiles, we saw the Lads line up:
Moore
Hume O'Nien Mepham Cirkin
Neil (c) Bellingham
Roberts Browne Mundle
Isidor
...and a bench of Blondy, Hjelde, Connolly, Watson, Aleksic, Johnson, Jones, Mayenda, and Rusyn.
QPR set things away attacking Moore's goal which was somewhere below our fans, and they had the best of the possession in the opening exchanges, although our keeper was well protected. An early foul on Browne just in their half gave us a breather, but it took ten minutes or so for us to get to grips with things. A couple of headed efforts as we conceded corners were the best that the Hoops could produce, then Hume clipped one through for Isidor to chase but he couldn't repeat last weekend's heroics and his shot from the right flashed across and wide. More like it, Lads
We continued with our new practice of varying our corners, but didn't really cause any bother with them and had to rely on trying to prise open the home defence via Neil. It was captain Dan who came closest to breaking the deadlock when Luke headed a corner back into his path but the shot hit the post. Isidor tried to scuff the rebound ball home but just couldn't stretch his leg enough
In the three added minutes, brought about by an enforced QPR substitution, they tried a long throw routine - but they're nee Tamworth and the eventful shot was more trouble to our fans than our keeper. The half ended with yet another corner routine that we didn't score from, meaning level at the break, and I've no complaints about that as we'd not shown any sustained fluidity.
No changes for the second half, and we showed a bit of positivity with Mundle finding Cirkin who crossed and the follow up header from Hume flew wide. Roberts then had a go after cutting in, but his curler took a touch for yet another corner - which we hit far too deep. Mundle lost his cool after not being given a free after either of two fouls (well, I'm biased) and conceded an inevitable free when charging back. Thankfully, they curled it miles over before it was our turn to waste one after Luke was tripped - Hume simply received the free then passed it to a defender. Poor show, Trai.
After Issy shot over, Bellingham was bumped about a bit in the centre circle, and was way late when trying to recover the loose ball. He might (possibly, in a perfect red and white world) have got away with a yellow, but the QPR players made sure it was a red. No real complaints from me, although I might change my mind once I've seen the telly version. I am a bit biased, mind.
That gave us over half an hour to hold on, and it obviously became a case of keeping a clean sheet rather than going all out for the winner. Browne dropped deeper to help Neil, and five minutes later Mundle made way for Connolly, with Issy going to the left. QPR actually got an effort on target, but the header was straight at Moore, who was booked soon after for time wasting - a bit rich considering he was only doing what all keepers do and taking a goal kick from the other side of the box. After a tussle on Connolly somehow earned QPR a free kick, there was at last a yellow for one of theirs who'd put his elbow into Hume with fifteen to go.
More solid defensive work kept Moore relatively safe, with plenty of hoofs towards our fans, then five added minutes were announced. On came Hjelde for his customary few minutes of shoring things up and protecting what we had.
Far from a good performance from us, and while the opposition were granted a great deal of possession as a result, their general play in the final third was at times laughable. I can accept an off-day like today, as every team has them and if they still result in a point and a clean sheet away from home, there can't really be too many complaints. Perhaps swapping wingers for a few minutes might have brought rewards, but it didn't happen today.
Man of the Match? I'll keep it short - I don't think anyone will moan about Patto's distribution after this, but Moore kept a clean sheet and that's the most important bit of his job. His defence did their job as well, so I'll give it to the organiser-in-chief, O'Nien.
Still top, by the way, if only by three points now. Only - happy days!
Got the Championship
On his firestick
Amad Diallo...
