John Spencer's Barnsley Hatrick....Barnsley on QPR Spending....Anniversary of THE Port Vale Comeback...QPR Connolly/Sunderland Offer

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A past QPR vs Barnsley game.It's just over eleven years ago, January 11, 1997: John Spencer's Hatrick vs Barnsley. QPR 3 Barnsley 1 -
Roberts
Brevitt Ready McDonald Graham
Brazier Murray Peacock Sinclair
Hately Spencer
Subs: Dichio, Maddix, Impey
Sunday Mirror, Jan 12, 1997 by JOHN GUBBA - Mirror-Spencer leaves Danny in a daze QPR 3 Barnsley 1
Honest boss Danny Wilson gallantly took defeat on the chin and admitted: "I've no qualms about losing - that was a cracking game."
Wilson's inspirational skipper Neil Redfearn broke the ice with a superb opener.
But Barnsley were undone by a magnificent hat-trick from super Scot John Spencer that left Wilson lamenting: "They're the best team we've played this season."
Wilson went on: "We matched them in the first half, but their equaliser just before half-time gave them a big lift.
"I've no complaints with the efforts of my players although we were possibly a bit too cavalier at times."
Wilson was more concerned with the injury to Steve Davis, who was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg 15 minutes from the end.
Davis was caught accidentally in a challenge by Rangers' match- winner Spencer, who confessed:
"That was my first-ever hat-trick, but all I could think about at the end was the injured player.
"I went straight to the Barnsley dressing room to ask how he was."
It was an unlucky end for Barnsley, who had looked a good bet to avenge their 3-1 defeat at Oakwell last September when they drew first blood in the 38th minute.
Redfearn curled home a sweet dead ball after Jovo Bosancic won a controversial free-kick and then persuaded referee Carl Finch to move the defensive wall back.
Barnsley looked like a side sitting in the top two of the First Division. But a classic Rangers move right on half-time took the wind out of their sails. Mirror

QPR's Greatest-Ever Comeback? Eleven Years ago Today.....
January 19, 1997: Port Vale 4 QPR 4
At half-time, Stuart Houston/Bruce Rioch's QPR were 0-4 down at Port Vale.....Final Score: QPR scored 3 goals in the last five minutes. Final score. Port Vale 4: QPR 4. (5,736 were there to see it.)
QPR's scorers; Holwyn (OG), Impey, Murray, Spencer.
Venue: Vale Park, Burslem Attendance: 5736
Port Vale: Musslewhite, Hill, Tankard, Jansson, Griffiths (Howlyn), Glover, McCarthy, Porter, Mills, Naylor, Guppy
QPR: Roberts, Graham, Brevett, Murray, McDonald, Ready, Spencer, McDermott, Hatley, Brazier, Sinclair. Subs: Dichio, Impey, Maddix
"....At half time Port Vale looked untouchable and Television pundits who were covering the game tipped them to continue the route in the Second Half. Things didn't quiet work out this way and it was QPR who got back in to the game when Port Vale's ex Ajax defender Jermaine Holwyn (og) headed in to his own net from a deep QPR cross on 66 minutes.
With 5 minutes of normal time remaining the home side still looked comfortable, then one of the most drmatic turn of events took place… On 85 minutes a deep QPR cross was headed out by the Vale defence only for the ball to fall to Andy Impey just inside the penalty area. Impey swung his boot at the ball to produce a spectacular goal that bounced in off the underside of the cross bar to reduce the score to 4-2.
Soon after QPR struck again on 88 minutes when Paul Murray latched on to a long ball and chipped the stranded Musslewhite to make it 4-3. The Port Vale defence looked in a state of shock and following a brief altercation between Dean Glover and Rangers Striker Dichio in the goalmouth following Murray's goal the match was again underway.
Almost inevitably in the last minute QPR again broke forward down the left. A pin point cross from Impey met the head of Dichio in the 6 yard box only for Vale keeper Musslewhite to pull of a brilliant one handed save. To no avail however and the lose ball fell to QPR stiker John Spencer who gleefully fired home from a tight angle to make it 4-4, sparking scenes of wild celebration from the visiting QPR supporters behind Musslewhite's goal.
Goal times: Glover (Port Vale) 24 mins Mills (Port Vale) 35 mins Jansson (Port Vale) 41 mins Brazier (og) (Port Vale) 45 mins
Holwyn (og) (QPR) 66 mins Impey (QPR) 85 mins Murray (QPR) 88 mins Spencer (QPR) 90 mins
Report

The Star - Reds scoff at QPR cash
"AS Barnsley prepared to face mega-rich QPR tomorrow, manager Simon Davey warned: Wealth doesn't guarantee winning.
The London outfit have billionaires in the boardroom and have splashed the cash, signing 10 new players.
Yet Davey declared: "There are a lot of clubs in this division who have spent a lot of money and they're still in this division."
He claimed making the correct decisions at the right time was more important than a giant bank balance.
Davey has big choices to make for tomorrow's clash.
He was today considering handing debuts to midfielder Diego Leon and left-back Tininho.
Leon is likely to start now Grant McCann has quit Barnsley for Scunthorpe.
Tininho is the only specialist left-back in Davey's squad but has not played since September.
"He is an attacking fullback who likes to get forward. He rarely gives the ball away. He can start an attack, follow it and deliver crosses," Davey said.
"He is a good defender but at Beira Mar where he was playing in the top Portuguese league the emphasis is on attacking.
"He is here to improve his defending."
If Tininho gets the go-ahed to play, Bobby Hassell looks likeliest to stand down. He was the right-footed makeshift left-back who played in last week's 3-1 defeat by Norwich at Oakwell.
Barnsley play QPR home and away inside a month.
Davey added: "We're sitting in 15th place, seven points off the play-offs, seven points off the relegation places.
"We have to start winning again and that starts against a strong QPR side.
"They are a strong side and a club who have spent a lot of cash. It is going to be a difficult game but we are going there prepared to make sure that we come away with the points."
QPR manager Luigi De Canio, bankrolled by co-owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone and the investment of the billionaire Mittal family, took his January spending to an estimated £6 million yesterday when he bought defender Damien Delaney from Hull for around £600,000..." The Star


The Northern Echo: Sunderland's David Connolly for QPR?
"...And with an offer for David Connolly on the table from QPR, there is a feeling that Keane needs to act quickly to strengthen his squad, something he disagrees with...." Northern Echo See - Connolly's Playing/Scoring Record. Also Wikipedia Connolly Record


The Mirror - first and last we put the questions to Matthew Connolly
Q What's the first team you ever played for?
Comet Rangers, when I was eight-years-old
Q Last time you lost your temper on the field?
I played against Charlton earlier in the season on loan for Colchester. I got sent-off and I got angry with myself
Q First female celebrity you fancied?
Jennifer Lopez - she's really good looking fancied?
Q First weekly wage you ever had?
£90 when I signed YTS forms at Arsenal as a 17-year-old
Q Last time you had a really good laugh?
I went to watch 'I am Legend' and I found parts of that really funny
Q The first holiday you ever went on?
A family holiday to Spain when I was aged about 12
Q First time you thought you would make it as a footballer?
Probably after one year of my YTS scheme when I was offered a threeyear professional deal by Arsenal
Q Last book you read?
A biography of Mike Tyson about a year ago - I don't read that much
Q The last promising young player you saw?
Henri Lansbury at Arsenal is excellent, technically he's really good and got everything
Q Last great film you have seen?
Blood Diamond. It was really entertaining and enjoyable to watch
Q Your targets for the rest of the season?
To play as many games as I can for QPR and improve the club's league position
Mirror


Mirror - Predator - NEW QPR defender
New Qpr defender Damien Delaney got an early idea of what he can expect at the new London glamour club after signing this Wednesday from Hull for £1.2million.
First Delaney was stunned as mega-rich QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore handed over one of the £3,000 gold watches he had made for the club's squad to thank them for their recent efforts
And then the Irishman's jaw really hit the floor when he walked out of Briatore's office to find supermodel Naomi Campbell (right) waiting for him to finish so she could go in and see her Italian ex-boyfriend. Mirror