QPR Lose at Home to Burnley - Reports and Comments

-
QPR 1 Burnley 2. QPR took an early lead. Burnley equalized. 1-1 at half time. A second half goal for Burnley. A crowd of just over 13,000. And thus end any hopes that QPR fans could mock Chelsea fans about knowing how to beat Burnley Minute by Minute Reporting. QPR drop to 11th, below Swansea and Plymouth. Updated Championship Table -

QPR OFFICIAL SITE - AINSWORTH = SPOT OF WOE
Caretaker Manager Gareth Ainsworth bemoaned what he believed to be a series of poor refereeing decisions, as the R's went down to a 2-1 home defeat to Burnley.
After Dexter Blackstock opened the scoring, goals from Robbie Blake and Alan Mahon sealed the points for the Clarets, but Ainsworth was left contemplating what might have been, after referee Mr Woolmer failed to spot a 'stone-wall' penalty kick midway through the second half.
"I thought Dexter was out-muscled a bit for the first one. Clarke Carlisle's got back well and got his body in the way, but I think the second one is a stone-wall penalty, every day of the week," he told www.qpr.co.uk.
"I've seen the tape back and the ball moved forward, Dexter got taken down and in my opinion, that's a penalty.
"I think the ref got it very wrong and there were a few decisions that he got wrong for both teams today."
Ainsworth added: "I'm gutted for the boys. They worked really hard.
"We weren't at full tilt and there were a few players under par - but I can't fault their efforts.
"But for me, the whole game changed on the referee's decision not to award the penalty at such a crucial stage of the game."
QPR


BBC - CommentsQPR caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth on Dexter - Blackstock not being awarded a penalty after he was impeded:
"It's bite your tongue time for me - a lot of managers have got into trouble this week.
"But the penalty changes the game for us and I said that to the referee at the end."
Burnley boss Owen Coyle:
"It was a big ask to come here today after the exertions of the midweek game against Chelsea but the spirit and the desire of the players was evident again.
"I took more pleasure and enjoyment out of winning today's game. I did not want it to be a case of after the Lord Mayor's show - it would have left a sour taste in my mouth if we had not won this game after the performance in the week." BBC


Burnley Official - Manager - Gaffer: Our Unquenchable Desire
Owen Coyle hailed the Clarets unquenchable desire after the team ended a fabulous week with a stunning win at QPR.
The Clarets came from a goal down to win for the second season running thanks to goals in each half from Robbie Blake and Alan Mahon - hi first goal in 14 months.
Coyle said: "With Wolves away, Chelsea away and QPR away it was going to be a daunting task, but all credit to the players because they have shown the desire they have to play for the football club.
"It was going to be a big ask today, given the exertions of the midweek win, but I thought we started the game well and actually felt a bit aggrieved to be a goal down.
"But the spirit and desire the lads have for each other was so evident, and it was there in abundance.
"To come back, after everything we've done during the week, just shows the strength of character we have to go with the ability."
Blake blasted Burnley level with a stunning goal 11 minutes before half time, after Coyle's side had played some scintillating stuff.
Coyle added: "We'd threatened to score before that and I thought some of our passing and movement was pleasing on the eye.
"But when you're doing all that you have to have a cutting edge, and Robbie showed that.
"We took enormous belief from that, and in the last 15 minutes of the first half there were waves of attack and the precise passing was really pleasing, with the level and tempo we played at.
"I was delighted to go on and win the game in the second half.
"Away from home there are always going to be spells where you have to deal with pressure, and Queens Park Rangers had that.
"They had two or three appeals for a penalty and I've seen days they've been given.
"But it wasn't, and I think we thoroughly deserved the three points over the piece.
Mahon then sealed the victory with a repeat of his last goal for the club, at Colchester 14 months ago.
Coyle said: "I've got nothing but praise for the likes of Robbie, Alan Mahon and Ade Akinbiyi - particularly Alan and Ade this last week, because they've been out of the 16 for the last seven or eight games.
"I brought them into the fold for the cup tie during the week, they've been working their socks off at training, and I felt that it was earned and deserved.
"I've said before, sometimes you get lucky with your substitutions.
Chris had taken an injury and we felt Alan was the proper replacement at the time.
"He scored a wonderful goal and then we had to reshuffle again.
"But no matter what you ask of those lads - if you ask them to play out of position, or sometimes to play not 100 per cent fit - I know they're going to give their all for me and I can't ask any more than that." Burnley


SPORTING LIFE/Any Sims - PA Sport
- Burnley enjoyed another profitable outing in west London as super-sub Alan Mahon secured victory over QPR in their Championship clash at Loftus Road.
Just three days after their memorable Carling Cup penalty shoot-out success at Chelsea, the Clarets again showed their liking for life in the capital with a valuable win over their play-off rivals.
Owen Coyle's men had stayed on in London following their heroics at Stamford Bridge, and now head back to Lancashire with a quarter-final against Arsenal to look forward to and another three points towards their promotion bid.
Dexter Blackstock had fired Rangers ahead early on, but Robbie Blake replied against the run of play before half-time and Mahon thumped the winner just three minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.
The hosts, who were themselves given a taste of life in the Premier League when they went down 1-0 at Manchester United in the Carling Cup, took the lead in the 14th minute.
Winger Lee Cook toyed with former Rangers defender Clarke Carlisle before cutting the ball back to Blackstock, who curled a fine effort past Brian Jensen into the far corner.
Jensen then had to tip a Damion Stewart header over the crossbar and Cook blasted a volley high and wide with Burnley on the ropes.
But Rangers could not find the crucial second goal and Burnley equalised with their first meaningful attack 11 minutes before the interval.
Blake collected Joey Gudjonsson's incisive pass on the edge of the area, brought the ball onto his left foot and lashed a powerful drive past Radek Cerny.
After the break, Chris Eagles fired wide and Wade Elliott shot straight at Cerny before, at the other end, Rangers were denied what appeared a clear penalty by referee Keith Woolmer.
Blackstock raced into the area and was sent tumbling by Carlisle, the last defender, in front of goal but Woolmer waved away the hosts' appeals.
Jensen then beat out Samuel Di Carmine's shot before Burnley were dealt a blow when Eagles had to be stretchered off.
But it was his replacement, Mahon, who proved to be the match-winner with a superb strike on the hour.
Blake's cross from the right took a couple of deflections on its way through to Mahon, who was lurking on the other side of the area and buried a first-time shot back past Cerny.
Blake also hit the bar with an angled drive, while Blackstock headed over from Peter Ramage's cross as Rangers looked for an equaliser, and Jensen tipped Patrick Agyemang's header over the top in stoppage time." Sporting Life


QPR Official Site
- Burnley substitute Alan Mahon's well-taken goal stole the points in an entertaining encounter at Loftus Road, against a QPR side that threw away an early advantage.

Dexter Blackstock's driven shot flew by visiting keeper Brian Jensen to hand the R's the lead as early as the 14th minute but Burnley hit back just after the half hour mark as Robbie Blake smashed home from the edge of the box.

Substitute Mahon, on for the injured Chris Eagles, then won it for Burnley seconds before the hour as he rifled a shot beyond Radek Cerny after Fitz Hall's weak header fell to him within the area.

Despite pushing forward in numbers, and a full five minutes of extra time, Rangers could not find that little bit of luck in front of goal and snatch an equaliser.

Caretaker Manager Gareth Ainsworth made just a solitary change from the R's last league outing in W12, with Hogan Ephraim returning at the expense of Emmanuel Ledesma, who dropped to the bench.

Patrick Agyemang was named amongst the substitutes, but there was no place in the 16 for Real Madrid loanee Daniel Parejo.

Clarets' Carling Cup goalscorer Ade Akinbiyi had to make do with a place on the Burnley bench, as Owen Coyle was forced to shuffle his pack following their win at Stamford Bridge.

Stephen Caldwell's sending off against Chelsea meant former R's defender Clarke Carlisle returned to the starting XI, while Steve Thompson replaced Martin Paterson.

A rip-roaring opening 12 minutes was capped off by an audacious effort from Rangers left-back Matt Connolly. With nothing else on, the youngster strode forward and unleashed a fizzing drive from fully 25-yards that narrowly flew over.

It proved the catalyst Rangers needed, as Lee Cook escaped down the left and cut a good-looking ball back for Blackstock. The lanky striker took a single touch and rifled a stinging shot into the bottom corner from 12 yards to hand the R's a deserved lead.

The goal put a halt to a worrying statistic. Blackstock's goal was the first time in 12 matches that Rangers had scored in the opening period!

The striker was at it again seconds later as he rose well and nodded an Ephraim corner looping towards goal. Jensen back-peddled just enough to tip it over, but Rangers were flying out of the blocks, Martin Rowlands forcing the Danish keeper into another save with a strike from the edge of the box.

Then out of nowhere, Burnley equalised. Patient build-up play found Blake in acres of space on the edge of the R's box. The striker swiveled on a sixpence and smashed a shot beyond the despairing Cerny and into the top-left hand corner to bring the scores level.

The Clarets had the bit between their teeth after a slow opening and Graham Alexander and Eagles both fancied their chances from distance. Neither one could hit the target however.

Chris McCann followed suit minutes before half time but Cerny caught easily enough. Burnley had seized the initiative and Rangers were on the ropes.

The half-time whistle couldn't come fast enough. When the teams ran out for the second period, Damien Delaney took the place of Connolly.

Burnley picked up where they left off however, and Eagles blasted inches wide cutting in from the left, whilst Wade Elliot struck an effort straight at Cerny.

Back came the R's and Blackstock was only halted by a clumsy looking challenge from Carlisle, and Samuel Di Carmine was denied by a fantastic point-blank save from Jensen when clean through.

A minute before the hour, the visitors took the lead. Elliot's determined run led to the winger feeding Blake out on the right, who lofted a tantalizing cross that Hall could only glance to the feet of substitute Mahon. The midfielder set himself and drove a shot across Cerny that settled into the far corner of the R's net.

Ainsworth responded to the goal by throwing on Ghanaian striker Agyemang at the expense of Ephraim.

Rangers were throwing everyone forward in a desperate attempt to find another goal. Hall's floated cross was headed agonizingly wide by Blackstock in the latest attempt at salvaging something from the match.

Burnley were still posing a danger, Blake testing Cerny from the narrowest of angles that needed a strong hand to beat it away from the Czech keeper.

That was followed with another iron-fisted save to deny Icelander Joey Gudjonsson, as Burnley looked to capitalise on the counter-attack after Rangers piled forward.

Rangers were frantic, Agyemang lashing a shot goalward that drew another vital save from Jensen, as the R's desperately sought a leveler. However, it was not to be, and Burnley ended a great week by recording another success in West London.

QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Hall, Blackstock, Rowlands, Ramage, Connolly (Delaney 46), Cook, Tommasi (Mahon 52), Di Carmine, Ephraim (Agyemang 62). Subs: Cole, Agyemang, Ledesma. Goals: Blackstock (14)
Bookings: Ramage (1) Red Cards:
Burnley: Jensen, Alexander, Duff, Carlisle, Gudjonsson, Elliott, McCann, Blake (McDonald 78), Jordan, Thompson (Akinbiyi 83), Eagles (Mahon 55).
Subs: Penny, Paterson.
Goals: Blake (34), Mahon (59)
Bookings: Gudjonsson (66), Mahon (79), McDonald (82)
Red Cards:
Referee: Mr K A Woolmer Attendance: 13,286
QPR


Burnley Official Site
Burnley ended a memorable week with another victory in London after coming from a goal down to stun QPR.

Robbie Blake and Alan Mahon were the goalscoring heroes after the classy Clarets undeservedly fell behind to Dexter Blackstock's 13th minute opener.

Blake got the visitors level with a typically stunning finish on the turn before half time.

And Mahon's first goal in 14 months, just four minutes after coming on as a 56th minute substitute, capped a fine few days in London following the Carling Cup victory over Chelsea.

The cup conquerors made two changes, with Steven Thompson replacing Martin Paterson in attack and Clarke Carlisle swapping places with suspended skipper Steven Caldwell.

Otherwise, it was as you were for Owen Coyle's side as they looked to end a memorable week with three important points.

Chris Eagles was cruelly hacked to the ground inside the opening 60 seconds as the Clarets looked to get off to a flyer, earning a booking for Peter Ramage.
.
And as battle commenced, Carlisle soon needed a change of shirt after bloodying the nose he cut open during the defeat at Wolves a week earlier.

The passing and movement was slick in the opening 10 minutes, giving Coyle just the start he would have asked for following those midweek exertions.

But as Rangers found their feet, Matthew Connolly drilled a long ranger over the angle before the deadlock was broken in the 13th minute.

The Clarets were exposed down the right and when the ball was fed inside to Dextor Blackstock, he curled the ball neatly into the bottom corner past Brian Jensen's despairing dive.

Carlisle was twice forced to head over his own goal and Jensen got a glove over Damiano Tommasi's header as pressure immediately intensified on the visitors

Chris McCann instigated a flowing move as Burnley looked to strike back midway through the half.

The Irish midfielder ploughed through the centre and played a lightening one-two with Blake only to be denied by a lunging tackle as he bore down on goal.

But Blake made no mistake in the 34th minute as the Clarets carved out a classic equaliser.

Joey Gudjonsson found the striker lurking on the edge of the box and found him with a threaded ball that Blake took in his strike, spun and rifled into the top left hand corner with Radek Cerny rooted.

Now it was Burnley doing all the running and Eagles was inches too high in the 40th minute with a rising 30-yard drive following another eye-catching series of slick passes.

McCann followed suit moments later, stinging Cerny's gloves when fed brilliantly by the omnipresent Blake.

And as the whistle blew for half time, caretaker Gareth Ainsworth would have been the happier of the two managers.

Burnley emerged just as determined to press home the advantage and after a last-ditch tackle inside the six yard box denied McCann within 60 seconds, supplier Eagles was a whisker away with a curler.

The umpteenth Burnley move had Rangers carved open again in the 50th minute as Alexander and Elliott combined to free the winger for a run on goal and shot that Cerny could only bat away.

However, Burnley looked to have been reprieved as play switched the other end.

Blackstock got the wrong side of Carlisle and as the defender tried to retrieve the situation, the Rangers striker went over in the box, only for referee Ken Woolmer to wave away strong appeals.

Stung by the perceived injustice, Rangers stepped up a pace and Jensen made a magnificent save as he raced from goal to deny Di Carmine.

Burnley suffered a blow in the 56th minute when the imperious Eagles went down on the edge of his own area making a challenge and was stretchered off to be replaced by Alan Mahon.

And what an impact the substitute made, putting the Clarets ahead with a sensational strike!

Alexander and Elliott combined to feed Blake on the right and when the cross found the midfield ace on the far side of the area, the substitute drilled home a superb left footer as the ball dropped to him.

Blackstock was just off target with a towering header as the clock ticked past the 70th minute mark.

And as a breathless half incredibly gathered pace, Blake saw his wicked drive from the tightest of angles saved by Cerny at his near post.

Rangers grew increasingly desperate as they searched for a chink in the resolute Clarets rearguard, which saw Kevin McDonald replace Blake to a standing ovation from the travel-weary Clarets fans.

And it took another smart save from Cerny to deny a rampaging Gudjonsson with five minutes remaining.

Stamford Bridge goalscorer Ade Akinbiyi replaced Thompson immediately as Coyle looked to fresh legs in the dying stages.

Five minutes of stoppage time exaggerated the agony for the Clarets.

And Jensen made his bet save of the day midway through that period by turning over sub Patrick Agyemang's 18-yard effort.

And ultimately, that was enough to earn a fantastic second win in as many seasons at Loftus Road. Burnley


Visit the QPR Report Messageboard