QPR's Wolves Draw - Additional Reports

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The Times
Late goal halts QPR
Wolves 3 QPR 3
Wayne Veysey

The football community has been urged to show referees more respect this week, but Clive Oliver did his profession few favours at Molineux yesterday with a terrible performance that even ruffled the smooth feathers of Queens Park Rangers’ dapper manager Luigi de Canio.

Oliver awarded a penalty to each side that De Canio and his Wolves counterpart Mick McCarthy agreed were both fanciful, ignored a far better shout for a spot-kick from Rangers and then gifted Wolves five minutes of added time at the end of a second half that did not feature any interruptions other than four substitutions.

Andy Keogh took advantage by scrambling in his second goal of the game five minutes into that period to level the scores for the third occasion in a thrilling afternoon and give Wolves’ playoff hopes a massive boost.

It was the least the home side deserved for their enterprising display which McCarthy reckoned was the equal of anything they have produced all season, but the normally understated De Canio was unhappy as his side ended the day in 14th place in the Championship, still a distant seven points outside an unlikely playoff berth.
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“Obviously it’s a bit sour to come away from home against a team with more points than us and two of their goals come in injury time in both halves,” he said. “We had some good chances but we wasted them. We know we can play good football and we can play much better than that.”

“I don’t really know where the five minutes came from. As far as I know it’s 30 seconds for a substitution and both of us made two in the second half. There weren’t any injuries, neither of the physios came on the pitch and neither of teams did any time-wasting. But I think the referee should be questioned about more than that.”

Both teams had gone into the game in good form, each boasting a record of just one defeat in their past seven league games Akos Buzsaky opened the scoring with his 10th goal in 24 starts for QPR before Keogh, who had earlier been booed by a section of the home fans, equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Oliver then made two poor penalty decisions, first when the ball struck Neill Collins on the shoulder and then when Matt Jarvis was impeded by Michael Mancienne outside the box.

Dexter Blackstock and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake both converted the spot-kicks. Mikele Leigertwood looked to have won the game for the visitors with a 79th-minute pile driver but Keogh had the last say, sparking mass celebrations on the Wolves bench.

“That might well turn out to be the most valuable point we have got all season,” said McCarthy, whose side are now in ninth place, a point outside the playoff positions. “I don't remember when we have played as well as that. That’s as good as we have been.

“We had our chances and we certainly deserved to get level. Our penalty should never have been given but it levelled things off. They got a very good third goal but we kept on fighting and my players showed great character to make it 3-3.”

Star man: Andy Keogh (Wolves)

Player ratings

Wolves: Hennessey 5, Foley 6, Collins 6, Edwards (Craddock 5min, 5), Elakabi 5, Jarvis 7, Alafinjana 6, Henry 6, Gray 7 (Eastwood 58 min, 6), Ebanks-Blake 7, Keogh 8

QPR: Camp 8, Mancienne 5, Connolly 6 (Rehman 58mins, 5), Hall 6, Delaney 6, Buzsaky 7 (Ainsworth 72min), Leigertwood 8, Rowlands 7 (Mahon 30min, 6), Vine 6, Blackstock 7 (Ainsworth 72min), Agyemang 7 Scorers: Wolves:Keogh 44, 90, Ebanks-Blake 64 pen QPR:Buzsaky 28, Blackstock 46 pen, Leigertwood 79 Yellow cards: Wolves:Collins, Jarvis QPR:Mancienne, Delaney, Blackstock - The Times

SUNDAY MIRROR - Football: KEOGH'S GOALS DO TALKING
Ray Matts At Molineux 23/03/2008
WOLVES 3 Keogh 45, 90, Ebanks-Blake (pen) 67
QPR 3 Buzsaky 28, Blackstock (pen) 49, Leigertwood 79
Wolves striker Andy Keogh silenced his critics as he helped rescue a point for his club against QPR yesterday.

Keogh was the target of the Molineux boo-boys in the first half as he missed an opportunity to score. They chanted for crowd favourite Freddy Eastwood to be called on.

But his critics had to eat their words as Keogh scored in injury time at the end of the first half and then again in added time as Wolves salvaged a point which might just help them to make the promotion play-offs.

They were not helped by the erratic decisions of referee Clive Oliver, who awarded a highly controversial penalty against them at the start of the second half but moments later made amends by giving them a spot-kick that never was.

Oliver's opinion that Wolves centre back Neill Collins had deliberately handled a 46thminute free-kick from Akos Buzsaky rather than that the ball accidentally hit the defender astonished everyone.

And Dexter Blackstock thumped his spotkick home.

But in the 65th minute midfielder Matt Jarvis was tripped outside the area by Rangers' Michael Mancienne before collapsing well inside and this time Oliver pointed to the penalty spot for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to level.

Qpr manager Luigi De Canio said: "I could not understand why he gave two penalties. I did not see any.

"And I could not understand why there were almost five minutes of added time at the end of each half either.

"It is a disappointment to take the lead twice and to only get a draw."

Buzsaky gave QPR the lead in the 28th minute with a 20-yard shot low into the corner of the net which was cancelled out by Keogh's first goal.

Then after the two penalties, Rangers went in front when Mikele Leigertwood unleashed a superb right-footed volley in the 79th minute.

But Wolves came roaring back, having several efforts cleared off the line before Keogh rifled a cross-shot just inside the far post.
Manager Mick McCarthy said: "That might be the most valuable point of the season. We played some really good stuff and created plenty of chances."
HOW THEY RATED
WOLVES Hennessy 6, Foley 6 (Kyle 5), Edwards 5 (Craddock 6), Collins 6, Elokobi 6, Jarvis 7, Olofinjana 6, Henry 7, Gray 7 (Eastwood 5), KEOGH 8 Ebanks-Blake 7.
Manager McCarthy 6
QPR Camp 6, Mancienne 6, Connolly 6 (Rehman 5), Hall 6, Delaney 6, Buzsaky 7 (Ainsworth 6), Rowlands 6 (Mahon 6), Liegertwood 6, Vine 6, Agyemang 6, Blackstock 6.
Manager De Canio 6
Referee C Oliver 4
MAN OF THE MATCH ANDY KEOGH Two goals, including dramatic late equaliser. Sunday Mirror

Wolves Official Site - Harsh Decision
Neill Collins was still an angry man after the final whistle despite Wolves taking a point from a dramatic last ditch comeback thanks to Andy Keogh's second goal against Queens Park Rangers.
The defender was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball early in the second half to concede a penalty that was converted by Dexter Blackstock.
"No way was it a penalty," said the Scot. "I couldn't believe it when the ref pointed to the spot because the ball hit me in the chest.
"And obviously we were disappointed to concede three goals at home especially as we scored three.
"So it was only a point when we wanted all three but who knows - at the end of the season we may look back and say what an important point it was.
"You can question a lot of things about this team but you can never question our work rate and passion.
"We were playing for the manager and playing for each other and we kept at it until we got a reward in the end even though we felt that overall we deserved to win." Wolves
See Also: Earlier Wolves 3 QPR 3 - Reports & Comments