QPR's Charlton Victory - Reports and Comments

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QPR 1 Charlton 0 - Sunday Times/Paul Rowan - QPR too good for Charlton

Pre-season favourites to bounce back into the Premier League and having been as high as second back in November, Charlton yesterday bowed out of the promotion race with little more than a whimper. They barely created a chance against a team who probably now look the more likely to get back into the top tier of English football before they do. The pill for Charlton fans was even more bitter to swallow because their chance of a playoff place was ended yesterday when they lost sight of fierce rivals Crystal Palace.

“Our record against the top 10 sides is the best in the Championship, but when we should have won, we didn’t,” Charlton manager Alan Pardew said afterwards. “There were some flaws in this side that we didn’t correct in the last window and we will need to correct in the next window.”

The transfer of their captain Andy Reid in January also didn’t help, while the gamble of bringing in some loan signings backfired, but Pardew will be given time to get it right. “I know the responsibility I have of trying to get this club back to the Premiership. We have one more parachute payment to go and it is going to be essential to get it right.”

Pardew’s budget will probably still look like small change compared with what Luigi De Canio will have to play with, though yesterday QPR’s Italian manager was adamant that he wanted to build his success on the back of the club’s youth system. He will surely also want to rely at least initially on a journeyman of the lower leagues, Gavin Mahon, who ran this game yesterday. Mahon set up the winner on 15 minutes, though Charlton centre-half Paddy McCarthy slipped as Dexter Blackstock got the ball in the box and was able to turn easily to score from 10 yards.
Blackstock might have had a couple more and 17-year-old Angelo Balanta was also profligate, but an insipid Charlton side hardly created a chance that might have punished them.

Star man: Gavin Mahon (QPR)

Player ratings: QPR: Camp 6, Connolly 6, Stewart 6, Hall 5 (Mancienne 33min, 7), Delaney 6, Ainsworth 6 (Buzsaky 51min, 5), Rowlands 6, Mahon 8, Ephraim 6 (Leigertwood 79min), Balanta 6, Blackstock 6

Charlton: Weaver 6, Halford 5, McCarthy 5, Bougherra 7, Thatcher 6, Zhi 5 (Semedo 70min), Holland 7, Cook 5, Ambrose 5, Gray 5 (Iwelumo 60min), Lita 5

Scorer: QPR: Blackstock 15
Referee: T Kettle
Attendance: 17,035 Sunday Times


Sunday Mirror/John Gubba - Blackstock kills Pard's play-off bid

Dexter Blackstock's early strike proved enough for Rangers as Charlton meekly surrendered their play-off hopes.

Alan Pardew's men waited until the dying minutes to exert any pressure and it was only Rangers' failure to make their advantage count that allowed the visitors to stage a final flurry.

Charlton's efforts were so half-hearted against a superior Rangers side, that theird is gruntled fans chanted: "Pardew, sort it out."

Pardew responded by dragging off Andy Gray and replacing him with Chris Iwelumo just before the hour - then looked on in anguish as the substitute smashed his first touch wildly over the bar.

That was Charlton's first threat on the Rangers goal. It was 86 minutes before they had a shot on target, but even then Greg Halford's tame free-kick failed to stretch Camp.

Deflated boss Pardew looking at the the wreckage of a failed promotion challenge conceded: "We just weren't good enough.

"I knew we weren't going to be good enough earlier in the season and I took a chance with some loan players but it just hasn't worked out."

Rangers, with little to play for having long since banished any fears of relegation, look set for a bright future under mega-rich owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore.

They were were never in danger as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches, despite their lack of striking options.

Colombian teenager Angelo Balanta started up front and looks an exciting prospect, prompting boss Luigi De Canio to declare: "My dream is to take this club into the Premier League with six or seven players coming through from the reserves."

Balanta's more experienced strike partner Blackstock grabbed the glory when he pounced in the 15th minute. Blackstock robbed Paddy McCarthy then raced away from the Charlton defender.

McCarthy gamely made up ground but Blackstock turned him again and fired past Nicky Weaver.

It almost got worse for McCarthy shortly afterwards when the ball ricocheted off his shin from just outside the area and flew inches over his own bar.

Balanta then set up Gareth Ainsworth with a glorious crossfield pass but the winger failed to hit the target.

Zheng Zhi, Charlton's best player, probed tirelessly in the first half but failed to inspire a side lacking belief and ambition.

Martin Rowlands went closest to extending Rangers' lead when he sent a scorching free-kick narrowly over.

Qpr substitute Mikele Leigertwood broke away deep into injury time, but shot tamely wide.

HOW THEY RATED
QPR Camp 6; Connolly 6, Hall 5 (Mancienne 6), Stewart 6, Delaney 6; Ainsworth 6 (Buzsaky 6), Rowlands 7, Mahon 6, Ephraim 5 (Leigertwood 5); Balanta 7, BLACKSTOCK 8
Manager De Canio 6
CHARLTON Weaver 6; Halford 5, Bougherra 5, McCarthy 5, Thatcher 6; Zhi 7 (Semedo 5), Holland 6, Ambrose 6, Cook 5 (Varney 5); Lita 5, Gray 5 (Iwelumo 5).
Manager Pardew 5
Referee T Kettle 6
MAN OF THE MATCH DEXTER BLACKSTOCK Clinical finish earned the points.
Sunday Mirror


Sunday People/Ann Gripper - Dext message to Pardew: Yr stffd

Dexter Blackstock's third goal in three games hammered the final nail into the coffin of Charlton's play-off hopes.

The Addicks needed to win to keep alive faint hopes of finishing sixth but they seemed to have given up the ghost as they were outplayed and outfought by a QPR side with nothing to play for.

And with bitter south London rivals Crystal Palace beating Watford, Alan Pardew's side were left in the same boat as convincing winners Rangers - their season over with two games still to go.

Angelo Balanta had already sent a fierce ten-yard shot into the sidenetting before Rangers took the lead after 15 minutes.

Paddy McCarthy allowed Blackstock to hustle him out of a high ball and although the Irishman recovered to make life difficult for the striker, Blackstock calmly turned him again and fired home a low left-foot shot.

Charlton barely threatened Lee Camp's goal in the first half and when the ball finally did come to Leroy Lita on the edge of the box, the on-loan Reading striker fell over.

A Damien Delaney header dropped just wide on 54 minutes to bring chants of "Pardew, Pardew sort it out" from the travelling supporters.

Charlton finally created a chance on 61 minutes but sub Chris Iwelumo ballooned over from two yards.

Qpr: Camp 6 - Connolly 6, Hall 6 (Mancienne, 34mins, 6), Stewart 7, Delaney 6 - Ainsworth 7 (Buzsaky, 51mins, 6), Rowlands 7, *MAHON 8, Ephraim 6 (Leigertwood, 80mins 6) - Blackstock 7, Balanta 7

Charlton: Weaver 5 - Halford 5, Bougherra 5, McCarthy 4, Thatcher 5 - Zheng 4 (Semedo, 74mins), *HOLLAND 6, Ambrose 4, Cook 5 (Varney, 23mins, 5) - Gray 4 (Iwelumo, 60mins, 5), Lita 4. Ref: T. Kettle 5. Sunday People


QPR OFFICIAL SITE

DERBY DAY DELIGHT
Posted on: Sat 19 Apr 2008

Luigi De Canio was in buoyant mood following the R's derby day victory against Charlton Athletic.

Dexter Blackstock bagged the only goal of the game early in the first half, as Rangers thoroughly out-played Alan Pardew's play-off hopefuls.

"It was another excellent performance from the boys," De Canio told www.qpr.co.uk.

"Our recent performances have been to a very high standard and yet again, the team played very well today.

"The application was excellent and the players showed great maturity and professionalism.
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"The spirit of the squad is excellent and we kept taking the game to Charlton throughout the 90 minutes.

"We need to become a team that is very hard to beat and we are making great strides."

De Canio reserved special praise for sponsors' man of the match Damion Stewart, who successfully stifled the threat of Addicks front-man Leroy Lita.

"Damion was excellent," he said. "He's a really good footballer, but there is still great room for improvement.

"When he focuses for the 90 minutes, he is a great asset for us."

Under the watchful eye of Eire Assistant Manager Marco Tardelli, Martin Rowlands' performance also draw praise from De Canio, who added: "I can't speak highly enough of my captain.

"Tardelli was here watching and I'm certain he would have been impressed by Martin's performance."
QPR


Charlton Manager, Alan Pardew: Charlton Official Site - Pards pain after play-off door slams shut
Alan Pardew admitted missing out on the Championship play-offs was a painful experience after the Addicks dreams were dashed by a 1-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Surveying the damage of the reverse coupled with Crystal Palace's win against Watford that left a top-six place as impossibility, a sombre Pardew said: "I'm very, very disappointed at the day's events.

"It's very painful because I have got some good honest players down there and they are hurting as we all are.”

And Pardew, who lost former Rangers man Lee Cook in the first half and Zheng Zhi late on with a groin injury, added: "I thought the performance was not as good as I expected, not by a long chalk, but the injuries, particularly the one to Cook, affected us.”

"QPR are a good side, especially here, so it was always going to be a tough game. We had a couple of half chances but creating goals has been a bit of an issue for us this year."

Dexter Blackstock scored the decisive goal in the 15th minute, capitalising on a slip-up from Paddy McCarthy and tucking the ball into the bottom corner.

The Addicks needed to win to keep their hopes alive but the loss, and Palace's 2-0 win at Watford, consigned them to a second season in the second tier.

"I thought we started second best and struggled to get into gear," Pardew continued. The injury to Cook affected us and we gifted them their goal.

"Overall QPR made it difficult fore us and we did not have the answers."

" I felt we didn't get a grip on the first half in any shape or form. Without attaching blame to anyone the referee didn't do us any favours today. I think I better leave it there though or I will get in trouble."

Now Pardew, who named Scott Wagstaff on the bench for the first time and included 16-year-old Jonjo Shelvey in the squad, admitted he will start planning for 2008/09 in the closing weeks of the campaign.

"We have worked hard this season, but it's been a season of frustration. There are some flaws in the side that we did not correct in the last window; we will in the summer.

"For us now is a chance to have look at a couple of things and make sure we get a head start on everyone else.

"To be honest I didn't feel Waggy warranted getting on today. The senior players' season was on the line out there.

"This isn't something to say our academy is good. They were both here because they are good enough but I don't feel they deserved to come out on the pitch today.

"Jonjo's an outstanding player and has a great chance for us. In the next two games he will make his debut." Charlton

Championship Table - BBC
1 West Brom 44 31 77
2 Stoke 44 13 75
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3 Hull 44 18 72
4 Bristol City 44 -1 71
5 Watford 44 7 69
6 Crystal Palace 44 12 68
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7 Ipswich 44 8 65
8 Sheff Utd 44 5 63
9 Wolverhampton 43 1 63
10 Plymouth 44 8 61
11 Charlton 44 5 61
12 Burnley 44 -2 61
13 Cardiff 43 4 60
14 QPR 44 -1 58
15 Preston 44 -3 55
16 Blackpool 44 -2 53
17 Coventry 44 -9 52
18 Norwich 44 -10 52
19 Barnsley 44 -13 52
20 Leicester 44 -1 51
21 Southampton 44 -17 50
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22 Sheff Wed 44 -6 49
23 Scunthorpe 44 -24 42
24 Colchester 44 -23 37

BBC
Full Championship table