QPR's Win Over Cardiff - Additional Reports & Comments

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INDEPENDENT/Alistair Grant - Mahon rises to the occasion for Rangers
- It was a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show at Loftus Road, where QPR needed substitute Gavin Mahon's late winner to defeat nine-man Cardiff in an anti-climactic match between two supposed promotion contenders.
- Hours after the City of London's new Lord Mayor was being sworn in amidst pageantry across the capital, these teams produced a game lacking any colour.
- Substitute Mahon headed home 10 minutes from the end but Cardiff manager Dave Jones provided the most newsworthy moment of the afternoon after the final whistle, risking an FA reprimand by launching a withering attack on referee Lee Probert.
- The official reduced Cardiff to 10 men for more than an hour, after Darren Purse's harsh straight red card for a 28th-minute foul on Lee Cook.
- He also dismissed Miguel Comminges four minutes from the finish for a second bookable offence, the second yellow coming after he spoke to an assistant referee.
- "You talk about respect in the game but he's not respected my players," said Jones, battling the curse of October's manager-of-the-month award, following six games unbeaten with back-to-back defeats in November.
- "The referee's performance was simply not acceptable at this level. Officials like that just don't understand the game. Purse's was never a sending-off and Miguel talked to the linesman and got sent off for it.
- "They've got to look at the officials today and see if they're good enough. It's crazy if that's what's going to happen for the rest of the season."
- Rangers were second best for much of the contest, leaving caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth sweating on watching chairman Flavio Briatore's decision over a full-time appointment. David O'Leary, Darren Ferguson and Roberto Mancini are rival candidates. "I'm tackling everything head on and there's been no talk of time limits or anything," said Ainsworth, who faces a daunting trip to Manchester United in the fourth round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
- Sacked former manager Iain Dowie objected to Briatore's hands-on style but Ainsworth claimed he had no problem with the Italian and co-owner Bernie Ecclestone visiting the home dressing room before kick-off.
- "Flavio was in the dressing room with Bernie before the game, motivating the players and geeing up the team," Ainsworth said. "Flavio likes to be involved. But the final team is mine."
- Cardiff had plugged the gap left by hamstring victims Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd with fellow striker Michael Chopra, back on a two-month loan at the club where he hit 22 goals to earn last year's £5 million move to Sunderland.
- After 13 minutes, Chopra worked space inside the penalty box but scuffed the ball across the face of goal.
- City controlled the game and only a magnificent fingertip save from former Spurs goalkeeper Radek Cerny denied Stephen McPhail a 21st-minute goal after he clipped Roger Johnson's pull-back goalwards.
- The dismissal of City captain Purse came seven minutes later after his tackle on Cook, who was 40 yards from goal and not the last man.
- Peter Whittingham fizzed a shot over the bar as half-time neared and, after it, Samuel Di Carmine lashed an angled effort over the top of the bar for the home side.
- The contest was more even now and Rangers substitute Akos Buzsaky's swerving drive was spilt by keeper Tom Heaton. Another replacement, Patrick Agyemang, wastefully sliced the close-range rebound against the outside of the post, as the assistant referee flagged for offside.
- Rangers' breakthrough arrived when Mahon rose highest to meet Peter Ramage's cross eight yards out and send a looping header into the top-right corner.
- Comminges joined Purse in the dressing room four minutes from the end when he was booked for a foul and then, 60 seconds later, spoke to the assistant. Independent


The Times/Ivo Tennant - Two off as Cardiff away run is ended
- THE sending off of Darren Purse for the kind of lunge which would have caused Arsene Wenger apoplexy, and of Miguel Comminges for two yellow cards in two minutes effectively settled this match.
- Queens Park Rangers eventually won it by dint of perseverance and a headed goal by Gavin Mahon with 10 minutes remaining.
- Predictably, David Jones, Cardiff’s manager, lambasted all the officials. “The referee’s performance was unacceptable and I don’t think he is up to this level,” he said. ”We talk about respect but Lee Probert did not respect my players”.
- The dilemma Purse faced was whether to make a lunge at a 50-50 through ball in the knowledge that if his timing was awry, the next line of defence would be the goalkeeper. A more savvy defender might have stood his ground and tried to jockey Lee Cook towards the wing. As it was, his clumsy challenge only upended the forward.
- Comminges did not depart until the 86th minute. Gareth Ainsworth, Rangers caretaker manager, felt that Purse’s dismissal was “harsh” and added that he was glad his career was coming to an end. “I would have received more red cards now.”
- To Cardiff’s credit, they played as 10 men often seem to do: harrying Rangers and not countenancing that this was a lost cause.
- Jones made an immediate change in bringing on Gabor Gyepes to take Purse’s place in the centre of defence and deployed three men in midfield and two in attack.
- Indeed, in a match of markedly few chances, Cardiff had the pick before Mahon headed in Peter Ramage’s long cross. “Gavin has been the ultimate professional after being left out in recent weeks,” said Ainsworth." The Times


SUNDAY MIRROR/Rory Smith - Jones fury as Bluebirds end with nine men - BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE QPR 1 Mahon 80 CARDIFF 0
- Cardiff boss Dave Jones launched a scathing rant at referee Lee Probert after seeing his side reduced to nine men as Gavin Mahon's late header sent them to a cruel defeat.
- Skipper Darren Purse was harshly dismissed midway through the first half for a high tackle on Lee Cook and Miguel Comminges walked late on after picking up two bookings in as many minutes.
And Jones pulled no punches as he blasted Probert.
He said: "You talk about respect in the game but he has not respected my players. His performance simply was not acceptable at this level.
"Officials like that just don't understand the game. It's crazy if that's what's going to happen for the rest of the season. He lost control of the game. We dominated the match but it's hard enough to win against 11 men, never mind playing the officials as well." Even his opposite number - caretaker-boss Gareth Ainsworth - admitted he thought Purse was unlucky to be sent off.
He said: "My first impression was that it was harsh and I said as much to Dave and to Darren. There might be a bit too much of a move at the moment to get rid of the tackle from the game. The FA are clamping down and what used to be a yellow is now a red.
"But we have to take the rub of the green. There's no room for sentimentality."
Despite losing Purse with less than half an hour played, Cardiff were still the better side. Probert's decision failed to dampen a bright start in which Michael Chopra fired just wide and Peter Whittingham's curling effort forced a fingertip save from Radek Cerny.
Qpr managed just one shot on target in a woeful first period and were scarcely any better after the break. Their only bright moments came after Ainsworth introduced Hungarian Akos Buzsaky just before the hour mark.
With Ainsworth, Flavio Briatore and a few others apparently involved in team selection already, it maybe time for the Loftus Road faithful to have a go.
It was the fans who clamoured for Buzsaky and he rewarded them by helping to create the winner, picking out Peter Ramage, whose cross was met with a thumping header from substitute Mahon.
The visitors - who lost Commingeslateon for dissent - almost grabbed a point but Cerny somehow blocked Roger Johnson's header and QPR held on.
HOW THEY RATED
QPR Cerny 6 Stewart 6 Connolly 6 Hall 6 Ramage 5 Ledesma 5 Rowlands 5 Cook 6 Tommasi 5 Blackstock 6 Di Carmine 5
CARDIFF Heaton 6 McNaughton 6 Comminges 4 R Johnson 6 Rae 5 Ledley 6 Purse 4 Whittingham 5 McPhail 6 E Johnson 5 Chopra 6
SUBSTITUTES Buzsaky (Ledesma) 7, Mahon (Tommasi) 6, Agyemang (Di Carmine) 6
Gyepes (Ledley) 6, Parry (E Johnson) 6
MANAGERS G AINSWORTH 7 D JONES 6
MAN OF THE MATCH AKOS BUZSAKY 7 Brought a bit of spark to an instantly forgettable game
Referee: L Probert 4 Sunday Mirror


Wales On Line - Gutsy Bluebirds shot down at Loftus Road
THE 10-men of Cardiff City produced a spirited and gutsy team display at Loftus Road, but were shot down by substitute Gavin Mahon 10 minutes from time.
Full-back Peter Ramage swung on a long cross from the right and it was Mahon, climbing at the far post, who sent a looping header which dropped over goalkeeper Tom Heaton and into goal.
That was cruel on Cardiff, who had produced a spirited and gutsy performance after having Darren Purse sent off.
And things got even worse when Miguel Comminges became the second City player sent off with four minutes left.
He was booked for a foul on 84 minutes and then dismissed for dissent, having moaned at a linesman.
City suffered during the first half with skipper Purse sent off inside the first half hour. It was a lunging challenge by Purse on QPR's Lee Cook and referee Lee Probert (Wiltshire) dismissed the City man on a straight red.
It was a challenge which had to be made by Purse and he did catch Cook, but yellow would surely have been enough.
Even with 10 players, City took the game to QPR and might have earned a win, Eddie Johnson twice going close.
In the final seconds Roger Johnson's far post header from Peter Whittingham's free-kick almost produced an equaliser. The effort hit goalkeeper Cerny in the back and bounced out of play.
City shrugged off their pre-match illness worries which started when Darren Purse, Gabor Gyepes, Roger Johnson and Joe Ledley went down with what was described as a '24-hour bug'.
Purse was sick earlier in the week, while the other three were unwell on Thursday/Friday and did not travel to London on the team bus just in case the problem spread. They travelled to City's pre-match hotel by car and thankfully there were no signs of sickness in the squad this morning and everybody was available.
The return of Michael Chopra, on loan from Sunderland, was an exciting factor for Bluebirds fans and he lined up alongside Johnson, making his first Coca-Cola Championship start.
Man of the match was defender Roger Johnson, while substitute Gabor Gyepes was also outstanding. Walesonline Mail


From Adam Boxer/Vital Football QPR
"...Sitting near the Director`s Box as I do, I then witnessed an extraordinary turn of events. Flavio Briatore seemed to be yelling at Gianni Paladini to get a message to Ainsworth to make another substitution! This may just be us all "interpreting" events in the way we wanted to, since Mahon was already stripped and ready to come on and Patrick Agyemang was also warming up, soon to be introduced after a few weeks` absence from a pelvic injury. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to watch!! QPR Vital Football


See Also

- "QPR-Cardiff: Post Match Comments and Reports...Briatore and Ecclestone's Pre-Match Involvement

- QPR Shatters Cardiff's Unbeaten Away Record: The Two Clubs Official reports

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