Marking One Year Since Ian Holloway's Last Victory at QPR

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[It's also about a year since Chairman Paladini's late December Q&A with QPR Net's Ron Norris was posted on QPRNet's site- Interview ]

It's a year to the day since QPR won their final game under manager Ian Holloway.
January 14, 2006: QPR defeated Theo Walcott's Southampton 1-0 at Loftus Road with a Richard Langley penalty . After the victory, QPR had 35 points from 29 games (as opposed to currently when have 30 points from 28 games). After this victory, QPR lost their next three games (Luton away; Leicester at home; Leeds away) before Holloway was ousted (put on "Gardening Leave.")
Just a couple of weeks earlier, Chairman Paladini had "endorsed" Holloway as manager (even as there was a press report re Jim Smith coming to QPR and Holloway was quoted as saying he didn't know what was going on.)Holloway was talking about moving into the transfer market and aiming for the playoffs.

The teams for Ian Holloway's final QPR victory
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Shittu, Rose, Ainsworth, Santos, Cook, Baidoo, Furlong, Lomas, Langley. - Subs: Milanese, Evatt, Moore, Donnelly, Taylor.
Southampton: Smith, Lundekvam, Powell, Oakley, Quashie, Higginbotham, Kenton, Blackstock, Balmadi, Walcott, Dyer. Subs: Bialkowski, Fuller, Jones, Cranie, Prutton.
Match Report

SPORTING LIFE REPORT
Theo Walcott endured a frustrating afternoon on what could be his final game in a Southampton shirt as QPR grabbed all three points at Loftus Road.

The 16-year-old, who is believed to be on the verge of a big-money move to Arsenal, offered glimpses of his promise but smashed a glorious chance over the top with the goal gaping.

And Rangers showed they were in no mood to play the gracious hosts at his leaving party by claiming a deserved win courtesy of Richard Langley's first-half penalty, while at the other end Nigel Quashie missed from the spot for the Saints.

Walcott lined up on the left wing, although whether it proves to be his last appearance in a Saints shirt is thought to depend upon the Gunners' willingness to loan him back for the rest of the season.

Rangers right-back Marcus Bignot knew he was in for a busy afternoon and he was immediately called into action with a well-timed challenge as Walcott was about to motor past him.

Walcott floated the ensuing corner onto the head of Darren Powell and Bignot was forced to hack the ball clear on the line. Djamel Belmadi then fired wide after being teed up by Dexter Blackstock with Saints well on top.

However, Rangers got their noses in front when, in the 21st minute, Lee Cook's long-range shot was parried by Saints keeper Paul Smith.

As the ball looped into the air, Gareth Ainsworth was clumsily felled by Danny Higginbotham and Rangers were awarded a spot-kick.

Langley shrugged off the protests of the Saints players to coolly step up and send Smith the wrong way.

Rangers had the ball in the net again in the 34th minute, but Paul Furlong was in an offside position as he followed up another Cook piledriver.

Walcott's chance to leave Saints fans a parting gift came moments later when the ball fell to him on the edge of the penalty area. Rangers keeper Simon Royce saved his initial effort and as the ball sat up invitingly, English football's hottest property skewed his follow-up over the top.

George Burley threw on Ricardo Fuller at the break in place of another teenager, the ineffective Nathan Dyer, but the tall forward received little service as Saints continued to labour.

Spirits were briefly raised with one mesmerising Walcott cameo, leaving three defenders in his wake before feeding Quashie.

However, when the midfielder returned the ball, Walcott dwelt too long and failed to get his shot away.

Quashie then thumped a drive over the top before Walcott, with 14 minutes remaining, sped down the right and pulled the ball back across goal. Belmadi touched the ball to Quashie, who strode into the penalty area and hit the deck under pressure from Ainsworth and Steve Lomas.

But Quashie's spot-kick came back off Royce's left-hand post and Rangers cleared the rebound.

Georges Santos left the field on a stretcher late on, but Rangers held firm and actually missed the best chance of the closing stages when Smith saved from substitute Stefan Moore.

Teams:

QPR Royce, Bignot, Shittu, Santos (Taylor 78), Rose, Ainsworth (Donnelly 88), Lomas, Langley, Cook, Baidoo (Moore 84), Furlong.

Subs Not Used: Milanese, Evatt.

Goals: Langley 21 pen.

Southampton Smith, Lundekvam, Powell, Higginbotham, Dyer (Fuller 45), Quashie, Oakley, Belmadi, Prutton, Blackstock (Jones 68), Walcott.

Subs Not Used: Cranie, Bialkowski, Mills.

Booked: Powell.

Att: 15,494 Report

Note Two Years ago on this date: (Jan 14, 2005) QPR 1 Stoke 0
Lee Cook's first-half strike gave QPR their first win since November 27 and took Ian Holloway's side above Stoke and back into the top half of the Championship table.

Cook finished off an excellent move - one of few in a pitiful match - to fire his team ahead after 17 minutes.

Rangers will be relieved to get the victory, but both teams made numerous errors in defence and attack and did little to suggest they can push for a play-off spot between now and May.

Although they had a goal ruled out late in the game, Stoke failed to reach the standard set in defeat against Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend, while Rangers - ever unlucky with injury - saw debutant Andrew Davies taken off at half time.

Holloway handed starts to the on-loan duo of defender Davies and goalkeeper Simon Royce, but neither side could find cohesion early on - so it was doubly surprising that the only goal was created with such intelligence.

Jamie Cureton deceived Wayne Thomas - who had failed to control a through-ball - with a neat back-heel that allowed Paul Furlong to release Cook on the left side of the area.

The winger's left-foot shot was hit crisply and found the top-left corner - although Stoke 'keeper Steve Simonsen will be disappointed to have been beaten at his near post.

Cook almost scored again just after the re-start, Simonsen fumbling his initial shot but gathering at the second attempt.

But QPR looked nervous in defence. In the 59th minute, Georges Santos and Matthew Rose - making his first appearance since November after replacing the injured Davies - both made defensive mistakes, but Dan Shittu was there to make a superb clearance that took the ball away from the dangerous Ade Akinbiyi.

Rose repaid the favour four minutes later, making a terrific block to deny Chris Greenacre after Shittu had inadvertently headed Lewis Buxton's long ball into the striker's path.

Between those incidents, Gareth Ainsworth shot centimetres wide of the far post after being released down the right by Kevin Gallen.

Chances continued to arrive thanks to the poor defending. Simonsen saved a close-range header from the unmarked Furlong, and at the other end Greenacre lobbed just over after Gallen and Shittu both failed to deal with Clive Clarke's punt forward.

Stoke substitute John Eustace had the ball in the net five minutes from time - but the effort was disallowed for offside.

Teams

QPR Royce, Edghill, Shittu, Davies (Rose 46), Padula, Ainsworth, Santos, Gallen, Cook (McLeod 87), Cureton (Bean 77), Furlong.
Subs Not Used: Day, Miller.
Booked: Cook, Furlong, Santos.
Goals: Cook 18.
Stoke Simonsen, Buxton, Thomas, Taggart, Hall (Asaba 70), Russell, Brammer, Jarrett (Eustace 64), Clarke, Greenacre (Noel-Williams 80), Akinbiyi.
Subs Not Used: de Goey, Henry.

Booked: Eustace.

Att: 13,559

Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).
Report