QPR Lose to Bristol City - Reports and Managerial Comments

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- Bristol City defeated QPR 1-0 tonight with a late second-half goal, leaving QPR without a league win since April - and without an away win since January. Updated Table

QPR OFFICIAL SITE - GAFFER: WE DESERVED MORE
- Jim Magilton was adamant his QPR side deserved more from their trip to Ashton Gate, after Nicky Maynard's second half strike sealed victory for the Robins.
- The R's hit the woodwork and had two fine efforts saved by Dean Gerken, as Magilton tasted defeat for the first time as Rangers boss.
- "I think they started well, as they do here, but we dealt with a succession of corners very well, with the back four and Radek outstanding," he told www.qpr.co.uk.
- "We needed to take a lot more care of the ball, which we did at the start of the second half, when we created the most clear-cut chance of the match.
- "We didn't take it though and that's the fine margins in this division."
- Magilton added: "As away performances go, I can live with that.
- "The quality was there for all to see tonight. We're creating chances and if we maintain that attacking nature, we'll win more than we lose.
- "I'm not concerned with the results, because our performances have warranted far more than the two draws we've registered.
- "Of course I'd be worried if the quality of our play was poor, but it has been to a good standard in the last week or so, so I'm not concerned at all." QPR


QPR Official Site Bristol City vs QPR
- A stunning Nicky Maynard goal 13 minutes from time condemned the R's to a first defeat of the campaign at Ashton Gate.

Maynard's thunderous drive from 18-yards gave Radek Cerny absolutely no chance, as the ball nestled into the roof of the net.

In truth, City were good value for their win, with the Robins creating the better chances throughout the 90 minutes, on a night when Rangers - for all their endeavours - mustered just two shots on target.

Jim Magilton made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Last season's Player of the Year, Damion Stewart, returned to the starting XI at the expense of Kaspars Gorkss, while summer signing Alejandro Faurlin was handed his full debut in the heart of the R's midfield alongside stand-in skipper Mikele Leigertwood.

In attack, Patrick Agyemang partnered Adel Taarabt, with Rowan Vine and Alessandro Pellicori waiting in the wings.

Robins boss Gary Johnson resisted the temptation to start new loan signing Andrius Velicka in attack, instead opting for Maynard and former Ipswich front-man Danny Haynes.

Rangers were in their stride from the first whistle, with Akos Buzsaky and Taarabt combining well in the second minute, only for Jamie McCombe's outstretched boot to divert the danger.

However, it was City - lining up in a 3-5-2 formation - who fashioned the first chance of note on six minutes.

Livewire Maynard fed Haynes out wide, but his shot lacked direction, as it flew wide.

Rangers responded in kind, with Agyemang letting fly from distance, but this time the ball ballooned a yard or so over the bar.

Buzsaky was next to try his luck for the R's, firing over from fully 25-yards, following yet more fine build-up play involving Faurlin and Leigertwood.

The pacy Haynes, who Magilton had under his guidance at Portman Road, was causing the R's back four early problems and when Gary Borrowdale's outstretched leg sent him tumbling to ground, Maynard's strike from the resultant well-worked free-kick was spectacularly saved by Cerny.

The R's goal was living a charmed life, and when Lewin Nyatanga's header appeared to be heading goal-bound, Buzsaky was in the right place, at the right time, to head the ball off his own line.

City continued to orchestrate proceedings and when Stewart's inopportune sliding tackle fell into the path of Maynard midway through the half, he in turn fed Haynes, who blasted wide when faced one-on-one with Cerny.

Faurlin, who had an enjoyed a steady if unspectacular start, picked up his first booking in Rangers colours seconds later, for a late lunge on Marvin Elliott.

After a quiet start by his own exceptionally high standards, Taarabt found his feet as the clock ticked towards the half hour.

His jinking run on 32 minutes led to a free-kick 20-yards out, but Buzsaky's resultant free-kick was high and wide, before the same player thrashed wildly wide again from long range from the R's very next attack.

The Robins were forced into a change eight minutes before the break, when Cole Skuse appeared to aggravate an old hamstring injury, and was replaced by fans' favourite Liam Fontaine.

The half-time whistle came as some relief for the R's, who had largely played second fiddle to Johnson's men for the majority of the first period.

Rangers fans were made to wait just a matter of seconds to see their side fashion their first shot on target of the second half.

Faurlin and Buzsaky exchanged passes on the edge of the box and when the latter found Routledge driving into the box, Robins custodian Dean Gerken dived low to his left to smother the ball at his near post.

At the other end, Bradley Orr's dipping volley flew a yard or so wide, as both sides continued to search for the all-important opening goal of the contest.

But it was the R's who continued to pose the greater threat and when Routledge tricked his way to the byline and pulled the ball back across goal, Taarabt - from an acute angle, no more than five yards out - fired a 49th minute volley off the angle of post and bar.

Whatever Magilton said at the interval appeared to be working, with the attacking quintet of Routledge, Buzsaky, Faurlin, Agyemang and Taarabt taking the fight to the home side with renewed vigour.

Johnson responded by introducing new addition, Velicka, who penned a season long loan deal from Glasgow Rangers just 24 hours earlier.

And just two minutes later, Magilton made a double change, with Rowan Vine and Alessandro Pellicori replacing Taarabt and Agyemang.

Pellicori made a decent impact, rising to meet Peter Ramage's backpost cross, only for the onrushing Vine to be ushered out by Jamie McCombe.

After losing Skuse in the first half, City were forced into another change 18 minutes from time, with new-boy Velicka taken off on a stretcher, following a heavy fall.

That prompted Johnson to introduce Lee Johnson, his son, as the Lithuanian left the field to a heart-warming round of applause.

It seemed to have the desired impact, as Maynard's stunning 18-yard drive rocketed past a startled Cerny and into the roof of the net 13 minutes from time, to leave the R's staring at a first defeat of the campaign.

Maynard almost doubled his and his sides' advantage two minutes later, only to see his fierce low drive flash past the outside of Cerny's right hand post.

Rangers refused to lie down, yet despite a brief late flurry - when Leigertwood was expertly denied by a sprawling Gerken in the second of seven added minutes - an equaliser proved beyond Magilton's men.
Bristol City: Gerken, Orr, McAllister (Velicka 65) (Johnson 72), McCombe, Elliott, Clarkson, Maynard, Hartley, Skuse (Fontaine 37), Haynes, Nyatanga. Subs: Akinde, Sproule, Wilson, Basso. Goals: Maynard (77) Bookings: McAllister, Fontaine, Hartley
QPR: Cerny, Ramage, Stewart, Hall, Leigertwood, Routledge, Buzsaky, Agyemang (Pellicori 67), Faurlin (Helguson 85), Borrowdale, Taarabt (Vine 66).Subs: Mahon, Gorkss, Connolly, Heaton. Bookings: Faurlin, Buzsaky, Stewart Attendance: 14, 571 (917 away) QPR


BRISTOL CITY OFFICIAL SITE

Bristol City 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Adam Baker reports from Ashton Gate

Nicky Maynard and 1-0 victories are coming thick and fast for City - this was their third in a row.

The former Crewe Alexandra forward powered in the vital goal on 78 minutes to bag back-to-back Ashton Gate wins in the Championship for Gary Johnson's men.

The only disappointment on the night was the serious injury suffered by Andrius Velicka just five minutes into his City debut.

QPR had early chances for Patrick Agyemang and Akos Buzsaky from distance, but after the early misses City really took charge.

Danny Haynes had already fired high into the Wedlock Stand from an acute angle before a quick Paul Hartley almost set Nicky Maynard clear, but for a sliding challenge from Damion Stewart.

Maynard then forced Radek Cerny into a smart low one-handed save from Hartley's corner, and from another Hartley set-piece Buzsaky was back to head Lewin Nyatanga's effort off the goal-line.

Lewin Nyatanga's header is cleared off the goal-line

The next chance fell to Haynes as a precise Bradley Orr pass set him clear down the left-hand side. On his less-favoured left foot, Haynes took aim and skewed his shot wide of the goal.

After their first-half dominance, hosts City would have expected QPR to come out strongly in the second 45 - and that's exactly how it panned out.

Wayne Routledge saw a low shot saved by Dean Gerken on the angle, and then the former Crystal Palace winger's cross on 50 minutes almost helped the visitors open the scoring. Adel Taarabt was free at the back post and looked to certain to score but somehow managed to fire the ball back across goal and off the post.

Liam Fontaine replaced Cole Skuse six minutes before the break in a straight swap at the back, seemingly due to injury.

Danny Haynes returned to City's starting line-up v QPR

With City on the back foot, City introduced Velicka for his debut on 64 minutes, replacing Jamie McAllister in a change of formation to 4-3-3. But that soon changed when Velicka turned awkwardly on the turf and seriously injured himself - needing to be stretchered off just five minutes into his debut.

The game needed something and Maynard provided it with a stunning goal 12 minutes from time. Receiving the ball from Clarkson the edge of the box, Maynard side-stepped Damion Stewart and powered an unstoppable shot past Cerny into the top corner for 1-0.

Now with three goals for the season, Maynard nearly added to his tally again moments later with a shot just wide of goal following good play from Hartley.

After the lengthy stoppage for Velicka's injury, City had to face seven minutes of injury time.

They survived a major scare as Leigertwood cut through the defensive line into the box, only to find Gerken in fine form with a brilliant stop.

At the other end Cerny brilliantly denied Haynes from inside the box after a brilliant pass from Orr, but it mattered little as the final whistle soon followed

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10327~47305,00.html


SPORTING LIFE REPORT Bristol City 1 QPR 0
Nicky Maynard scored the only goal of the game as Bristol City put the controversy of the 'phantom goal' behind them by beating QPR in the Coca-Cola Championship.

The Robins were accused of cheating by Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock at the weekend when Eagles striker Freddie Sears' strike was not awarded by referee Rob Shoebridge, despite clearly hitting the back of the net and rebounding out and City went on to win 1-0.

But Gary Johnson's side put the controversy to one side and maintained their unbeaten start to the season, with former Crewe striker Maynard notching his third goal in as many games with the winner 13 minutes from time.

City dominated the first half, but Rangers improved after the break and Adel Taarabt came closest for them when his strike rebounded off the post.

Rangers handed a debut to £3.5million summer signing Alejandro Faurlin, but the Argentinian was unable to unlock the Robins defence and the Londoners are still searching for their first league win of the season.

The Robins made a bright start with Danny Haynes and Marvin Elliott both trying their luck but failing to test Rangers keeper Radek Cerny.

And it took a fine save from Cerny to keep out Maynard's right-foot strike from the edge of the area after 12 minutes.

The Rs remained on the back foot and Cerny was called into action once again to palm away a header from Elliott and Haynes should have done better when he fired wide from 12 yards out.

The visitors were under relentless pressure and breathed a sigh of relief when former Derby defender Lewin Nyatanga headed over the bar.

But as the first half drew to a close Rangers started to look more comfortable and former Plymouth midfielder Akos Buzsaky let fly from long-range but his right-foot strike flashed over the bar.

Rangers were a different side after the break and Wayne Routledge had an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock but was denied from close range by Robins keeper Dean Gerken.

And the visitors were almost in front five minutes after the break when on-loan Tottenham midfielder Taarabt saw his close-range strike rebound off the post.

Taarabt was in the thick of the action once again two minutes later, but was unable to keep his long-range strike was off target.

Johnson introduced on-loan Rangers striker Andrius Velicka to make his debut after 63 minutes.

But the Lithuania international was on the field for only 11 minutes before picking up an injury.

However, City were in front with 13 minutes remaining when Haynes set up former Crewe frontman Maynard, who drilled a clinical right-foot finish into the top-right corner of the net to secure all three points. Sporting Life


EALING GAZETTE/Yann Tear - Stunner ends Rangers' unbeaten start
- A vastly improved second half from Rangers was not quite enough to earn them their third Championship draw in a row as their mini tour of the West Country ended in defeat.

A stunning drive into the top corner of the net from City's Nicky Maynard – who took possession just outside the area – settled a contest that had appeared increasingly strangled.

It was no consolation to Radek Cerny that he will not be beaten by many better strikes this season and the Rs will feel their revival deserved reward.

They nearly got it too when Mikele Leigertwood tore into the penalty area in injury time, only to be denied by City keeper Dean Gerken.

Adel Taarabt also hit a post when he should have scored at the start of the second half.

The Rs looked well off the pace during a one-sided first half, in which they were indebted to poor finishing and a bit of luck to stay in the game.

But Jim Magilton's men were transformed after a likely rocket from the boss during the interval as they denied the home side the time and space they had enjoyed before the interval.

A sprightly start for Rangers proved illusory as the home side quickly established command – and a quick succession of chances.

First Cerny had to be more alert than his defenders to save low to his right when Nicky Maynard had a free shot from a central position after Gary McAllister had squared a free-kick to him, then Akos Buzsaky had to hook a goalbound header from Marvin Elliott off the line at a corner – one of many won by the home side in the first half.

But they also needed a little luck when Danny Haynes – a summer signing from Ipswich – clipped a ball wide of Cerny when set clear on goal by Bradley Orr.

Rangers' £3.5m debutant Alejandro Faurlin struggled to settle to the breakneck pace and was late with a challenge on Marvin Elliott, which earned the 22-year-old Argentinian a yellow card.

Rangers showed resilience if nothing else during that one-sided half, but were over reliant on long-range efforts at the other end of the field.

Patrick Agyemang and Adel Taarabt took turns to take the central striker duties, but most moves ended in dead ends.

But Wayne Routledge continued to look the best source of a goal throughout and from one of his darting runs down the right, Rangers should have taken the lead five minutes into the second half.

Taarabt was guilty of an astonishing miss when he scampered to the far post ahead of the last defender to reach Routledge's low centre, only to screw his shot onto the right hand post from barely a couple of yards out with the goal gaping." Ealing Gazette


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