Season Ends With QPR Defeat...And Relegation for QPR's Former Manager Ian Holloway

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QPR lost 0-2 at home to WBA before a virtually-capacity crowd, with Romone Rose coming on 10 minutes from time to make his QPR debut. QPR suffered yet another Red Card, illustrating again, their continuing poor disciplinary record. QPR ended the season in 14th place, on 58 points: Just six ahead of relegated Leicester. While some fans will mock Ian Holloway's relegation with Leicester (and it may slightly enhance QPR's Promotion prospects), QPR fans should be grateful for what Holloway did in his almost five years at QPR. Holloway's Post-Match Comments today. On a brighter note, congratulations to the son of former QPR star, Dave Clement, for making his 300th appearance

Elsewhere:
Play-offs: Hull, Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Watford
Relegated: Leicester, Scunthorpe, Colchester

Final Tables

UPDATED: DE CANIO'S POST MATCH COMMENTS 'I'M OFFENDED'
Luigi De Canio slammed referee Mr Taylor's decision to send off Martin Rowlands, as the R's slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Champions West Bromwich Albion at Loftus Road.
The R's skipper saw red in the 37th minute for a challenge on Baggies midfielder Jonathan Greening, but De Canio was adamant the Hertfordshire whistler got the big decision wrong.
"We prepared all week for this match and his decision completely changed the game," he told www.qpr.co.uk.
"He wasn't up to refereeing the game today and that's just not good enough.
"Personally I feel very offended by the way he conducted himself. His performance was very poor. He was offensive to us, West Brom and the Championship.
"His mediocrity was thoroughly convincing today."
Club Captain Gareth Ainsworth agreed with his Manager, commenting: "It was another very poor decision from a Championship referee. The contact was so minimal.
"The referee had a yellow card in his hand, spoke to the linesman and then showed a red card.
"What baffles me though is that the referee was in a far better position to give the decision."
Kim De-Hoen and Chris Brunt scored the all-important goals for the Baggies, and De Canio added: "West Brom are worthy winners of this division.

"They played some fantastic football today and are the best footballing side in the Championship over the course of the season." QPR

QPR Official Site
Martin Rowlands saw red, as the Baggies bounced back to the top tier of English football as Champions of the Coca Cola Championship.
The R's midfielder was the unfortunate recipient of one of the more harsher sending-offs of the campaign, when he was given his marching orders just before half-time for a mistimed tackle on Jonathan Greening.
Albion's numerical advantage told after the break, when Kim Do-Hoen nodded Tony Mowbray's men in front, before Chris Brunt put the icing on the cake for the Midlands outfit with a late second.
In truth, the final scoreline was harsh on the R's, who competed valiantly with ten men, with Gareth Ainsworth at the heart of everything positive for the hosts in front of a season's high crowd of 18, 309.
The R's injury list was extensive for the visit of Mowbray's men.
Akos Buzsaky, Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang were all sidelined, while Fitz Hall failed a late fitness test, meaning Zesh Rehman started at centre half.
Baggies top-scorer Kevin Phillips partnered Roman Bednar in attack, with Ishmael Miller resigned to a place amongst the Albion substitutes.
In a fast-paced opening, it was Angelo Balanta who was presented with the first chance for Rangers, but his left footed effort lacked direction, as it flew past Dean Kiely's right hand post.
The R's were enjoying the better of the opening exchanges and when Gareth Ainsworth sped past Paul Robinson on the right flank, his back post cross was latched onto by Dexter Blackstock.
The in-form striker seemed to destined to head the R's in front, only for Kiely to produce a top-class save at his near post, clinging on to the ball inches from the goal-line.
Albion's first chance of note arrived in the ninth minute, when Bednar saw his left footed half-volley from 12-yards tipped over spectacularly by Lee Camp.

Both sides continued to play some entertaining football and when Blackstock was brought down by Leon Barnett on the edge of the penalty box midway through the half, Rowlands curled a fierce free-kick inches wide.
At the other end, Brunt fired a flashing half-volley straight at Camp from an acute angle, before the busy Zoltan Gera lashed wide from distance.
Disaster struck for the R's in the 37th minute though, when Rowlands was the rather harsh victim of a scandalous refereeing decision from Mr Taylor.
Contesting a fifty-fifty ball with Greening, Rowlands was marginally late and having caught the outstretched shin of the Baggies captain, Taylor inexplicably pulled out a red card, to the amazement of both sets of players.
Greening was back to his feet moments later, before De Canio again opted to make a quick substitution, replacing the unfortunate Balanta with Mikele Leigertwood.
Undeterred, it was the R's who continued to pose the greater attacking threat, as Damien Delaney stung the palms of Kiely with an opportune right footed strike.
The Baggies replaced Bednar with Kim during the break, but it was De Canio's men who created the first chance of the second period, as Blackstock fired over from 25-yards.
Rangers' resistance lasted just seven minutes though, as Phillips and Gera combined to set up substitute Kim, for the simplest of close range headers.
The Baggies were buoyant now and after Brunt fired against the crossbar, Camp was on hand to save Kim's ferocious right footed drive.
Brunt wasn't to be denied though and when Albion were gifted another cheap free-kick by referee Mr Taylor in the 77th minute, the former Sheffield Wednesday man left Camp completely motionless, as he planted a sublime free-kick into the top left hand corner.
De Canio handed Under-18 starlet Romone Rose his QPR debut 11 minutes from time, but it was Albion's day - and Albion's season too.
QPR: Camp, Delaney, Mahon, Mancienne, Blackstock, Ainsworth, Rowlands, Connolly, Ephraim (Rose 80), Rehman, Balanta (Leigertwood 38).
Subs: Cole, Barker, Lee.
Red Cards: Rowlands 37
WBA: Kiely, Hoefkens, Robinson (Moore 73), Barnett, Clement (Albrechtsen 53), Koren, Greening, Bednar (Kim 46), Gera, Phillips, Brunt.
Subs: Miller, Morrison.
Scorers: Kim 52, Brunt 77
Bookings: Clement 43, Robinson 70
Referee: Mr P Taylor
Attendance: 18, 309 QPR


West Bromwich Albion Official Site - Report

SUPER-SUB Do-heon Kim's first-ever goal in English football and a Chris Brunt cracker ensured Albion wrapped up their top-flight return in style as champions with a 2-0 win against ten-man QPR.

Rangers skipper Martin Rowlands was given his marching orders by referee Paul Taylor for a late lunge on Jonathan Greening in the 37th minute but the hosts managed to reach the break with the game goalless.

On-loan Korea Republic star Kim came on as half-time replacement for Roman Bednar and opened the scoring just eight minutes later to set the Baggies on their way to a fourth successive away victory.

And new father Chris Brunt rounded off week to remember as he followed up his promotion-clinching strike in Monday's 1-1 draw against Southampton with a 77th-minute free-kick belter to send Albion on their way to the Premier League.

The players paid a special tribute to long-term injury victim Filipe Teixiera before the game as they warmed up in T-shirts bearing his name and No.20.

And Tony Mowbray's men lapped up the atmosphere as they went through their drills in front of a jubilant, sell-out 2,800 Baggies fans dressed as super heroes in honour of 'Super' Kevin Phillips.

But as soon as the players hit the pitch for kick-off it was time for a now familiar huddle before getting down to business.

Roman Bednar returned to partner Phillips in attack with Ishmael Miller dropping to the bench.

James Morrison recovered from an ankle injury in time to take his place amongst the substitutes while Chris Brunt replaced him in midfield.

Albion started brightly and Robert Koren had the first shot of the game from 20 yards in the fourth minute, which deflected off Gavin Mahon and bounced into the arms of Lee Camp.

Two minutes later Phillips tried his luck from similar range but again the ball ran through to Camp after the Baggies striker's effort clipped off Matthew Connolly.

Paul Robinson went chasing a ball he did not need to high up the pitch and allowed Gareth Ainsworth to run at Chris Brunt in the left full-back position.

The QPR winger cut inside the Northern Ireland international and curled it to the back post where Dexter Blackstock looked certain to score, only to see Dean Kiely pull off a remarkable save and clutch the ball right on the goalline.

Seconds later it was the visitors on the attack and Koren dinked a delicious ball over the Rangers backline for Bednar, who controlled but saw his 15-yard volley tipped over by Camp.

Martin Rowlands had Kiely scrambling across his goal as he tried to catch him out with a quick free-kick that flashed inches wide of the left-hand post in the 24th minute.

Robinson played a sublime diagonal ball through to Brunt on the right-hand edge of the box on the half-hour mark and the Baggies midfielder let fly with a powerful left-foot strike that Camp beat out for a corner.

The Hoops were reduced to ten men in the 37th minute when skipper Rowlands was given a straight red card by referee Paul Taylor for a late lunge on his Baggies counterpart Greening.

Two minutes later Mikele Leigertwood came on for Angelo Balanta.

Albion pushed forward trying to make the most of their one-man advantage and Koren drove into the box but saw his shot blocked by Zesh Rehman.

A minute before the break Damien Delaney cut inside from the left and drilled in an 18-yard shot that Kiely did well to hold to his left.

Mowbray made a change at the break as Do-heon Kim came on for Bednar, who suffered a head injury towards the end of the first half, and adopted a five-man midfield.

Three minutes after the beak Ainsworth beat Robinson in the air and found Blackstock, who fired over from the edge of the box.

Phillips' neat little chip over the Rangers defence put Kim in a threatening position in the penalty area.

Connolly managed to get an important touch but the ball fell to Gera, who managed to skip past Delaney before cutting the ball beyond Camp for Kim to head into the empty net from close range in the 53rd minute.

The Baggies made another change a minute later when Martin Albrechtsen came on for Neil Clement, who was living life on the edge having already been booked.

Albion poured forward in the 65th minute as the game stretched out and Brunt's ball through to Koren was just a touch too heavy and allowed Camp to make a vital block.

Brunt left the frame of the goal rattling when he cracked a right-footed shot off the bar from just inside the box in the 69th minute.

Kim pounced on the rebound and forced Camp into a fine save with a 15-yard thunderbolt.

Gera wasted little time in turning swiftly in the 75th minute and lashing a 25-yard left-foot shot inches past the right-hand post, with Camp beaten.

Two minutes later Brunt curled home a superb 25-yard free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the net to double Albion's lead.

Blackstock burst through the Albion defence in the final minute but his toe poke drifted just past the right-hand post to preserve the visitors' clean-sheet.

And in the third minute of stoppage time substitute Luke Moore could have put the icing on the cake by scoring his first goal for the Baggies - but fired over a close-range volley.

QPR (4-4-2): Camp; Mancienne, Rehman, Connolly, Delaney; Ainsworth, Mahon, Rowlands, Ephraim (Rose 80); Blackstock, Balanta (Leigertwood 39). Subs not used: Cole (gk), Barker, Lee.

ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; Hoefkens, Barnett, Clement (Albrechtsen 54), Robinson (Moore 73); Gera, Koren, Greening, Brunt; Phillips, Bednar (Kim HT). Subs not used: Miller, Morrison.

SENDING-OFF: QPR - Rowlands (foul 37).

BOOKINGS: ALBION - Clement (foul 43), Robinson (foul 70).

GOALS: ALBION - Kim (53), Brunt (77).

REFEREE: P Taylor (Hertfordshire).

ATTENDANCE: 18,309.

ALBION STARMAN: Zoltan Gera. WBA


BBC - FINAL TABLE
1 West Brom 46 33 81
2 Stoke 46 14 79
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3 Hull 46 18 75
4 Bristol City 46 1 74
5 Crystal Palace 46 16 71
6 Watford 46 6 70
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7 Wolverhampton 46 5 70
8 Ipswich 46 9 69
9 Sheff Utd 46 5 66
10 Plymouth 46 10 64
11 Charlton 46 5 64
12 Cardiff 46 4 64
13 Burnley 46 -7 62
14 QPR 46 -6 58
15 Preston 46 -6 56
16 Sheff Wed 46 -1 55
17 Norwich 46 -10 55
18 Barnsley 46 -13 55
19 Blackpool 46 -5 54
20 Southampton 46 -16 54
21 Coventry 46 -12 53
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22 Leicester 46 -3 52
23 Scunthorpe 46 -23 46
24 Colchester 46 -24 38

BBC Table