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Two Year Flashback: Reported QPR Interest in Zamora and Johnson
Forty-Five years ago Today: October 8, 1968 - QPR, FINALLY, WIN In Division One...
QPR - after two months and twelve games without a win (five draws and
seven losses) in what was then known as the First Division (including a
humiliating 0-4 home defeat against Chelsea)..newly-promoted QPR
finally won their first-ever Division One game.
- In a midweek
game at Loftus Road (at a time, when QPR always played their midweek
games on Tuesdays), QPR beat Ipswich 2-1. Barry Bridges and Roger Morgan
scoring for QPR.
QPR's team against Ipswich:
Mike Kelly:
Alan Harris - Tony Hazell- Bobby Keetch - Ian Watson
Mike Keen - Roger Morgan - Les Allen
Mick Leach - Barry Bridges - Alan Wilks
[Three
days later, QPR defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 at Loftus Road, with
Wilks, Bridges and Leach scoring, and QPR seemed to be surging.
(Unfortuantely QPR lost their next 3 games 3-2 at Newcastle 3-2 at home
to Man United and 3-4 at West Ham...and in fact won only two other games
the rest of the season as they were relegated with a then record-lowest
number of points in the First Division: 18 points!)
Edit; Six Years Ago: October 8, 2007
QPR Official Site - EXCLUSIVE: R'S CLINCH CRANIE COUP
Queens Park Rangers Football Club have completed the three month loan signing of highly-rated Portsmouth defender Martin Cranie.
The England Under-21 international has put pen to paper on a deal up to, and including, January 1st 2008.
Twenty-one
year-old Cranie will go straight into the R's squad for Monday's Sky
Sports showdown against Norwich City at Loftus Road.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk earlier today, Caretaker Manager Mick Harford expressed his delight at the arrival of the former Southampton defender.
"He's a good signing for this Football Club," said Harford.
"I've looked at him for a very long while and I'm just delighted we've been able to get him here for three months.
"He's played at the highest level already this season and he's an England Under-21 international, so he's got great pedigree.
"He's versatile, but he prefers to play at centre half and that's where we'll use him.
"It
gives me a decision or two to make in that department, but we needed to
freshen it up to improve on all aspects of our defending."
Cranie joined Portsmouth from South Coast rivals Southampton for an undisclosed compensation fee in the summer.
He
made his Pompey debut against Manchester United in mid-August, but has
since failed to hold down a regular starting role, making just three
appearances in all competitions so far this season. QPR
October 8, 2007: Mick Harford's first win vs Norwich
Team: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Bolder, Ainsworth, Rowlands, Sahar, Ephraim, Vine, Leigertwood, Cranie
Subs: Cole, Bignot, Timoska, Jarrett, Moore.
QPR OFFICIAL SITE
Martin
Rowlands' second half spot-kick ensured QPR headed into the
international break on a high with a first victory of the campaign, in
front of the live Sky Sports cameras.
Rowlands bagged the only goal
of a one-sided contest midway through the second period, when referee
Peter Walton pointed to the spot following Ian Murray's foul on home
debutant Rowan Vine.
Victory was no less than the R's deserved, after their most creative performance of the season.
Rowlands
was denied by the woodwork and Vine saw his thunderous volley tipped to
safety by the overworked David Marshall, as the R's produced a
much-improved display in front of a star-studded Loftus Road Director's
Box.
Still reeling from the R's 4-2 defeat against Colchester United a
few days earlier, Caretaker Manager Mick Harford made three changes to
the QPR side.
Portsmouth loanee Martin Cranie replaced Danny Cullip
at the heart of the R's defence, while Damion Stewart was restored to
the Rangers back four, with Mikele Leigertwood returning to his usual
central midfield berth, at the expense of Jason Jarrett.
Chelsea loan star Ben Sahar replaced Dexter Blackstock in attack, alongside home debutant Vine.
Norwich
were minus the services of former R's front-man Jamie Cureton, who
missed out with a foot injury, but Jason Shackell returned from
suspension to skipper the Canaries.
On a balmy October evening in
West London, the game started at a nice tempo and it was Rangers who
made most of the early running.
Vine's seventh minute pull-back from
the by-line fell perfectly into the path of the roaming Leigertwood,
whose driven 18-yard effort shaved the outside of David Marshall's right
hand post.
It was Vine's strike partner Sahar who spurned the next
opportunity, firing into the midriff of Dion Dublin after he homed in on
goal from a position on the left flank.
Rowlands' resultant corner
kick was only half cleared at the back post and Ainsworth lashed a
first-time volley into the arms of Marshall.
Sahar's pace and
strength was causing Dublin and Shackell constant problems and when the
Israeli front-man bore down on goal on the half hour, the latter did
just enough to prevent him from letting fly.
Replays suggested Sahar was dragged back by the Norwich skipper, but referee Peter Walton was not forthcoming with the decision.
Norwich fans were made to wait until the 32nd minute to see their side create an opportunity.
Jon Ostemobor broke from deep, but having left two in his wake, his finish lacked the sufficient power to test Camp.
Rangers
continued to pepper the Norwich goal and moments later, the lively
Ephraim brought the best out of Marshall, who dived full stretch to beat
the left sided midfielder's 25-yard effort to safety.
Norwich created the final chance of the half on the stroke of half-time, when Dublin headed over Darren Huckerby's corner kick.
That proved to be Dublin's final act of the match, with Ian Murray replacing the veteran defender on the resumption.
Rangers
were soon back in the groove at the start of the second half, with the
unlucky Rowlands denied by the woodwork in the 47th minute.
Playing
in an unorthodox right-back position, Rowlands broke from just inside
his own half before unleashing a venomous 25-yard drive, which Marshall
could only watch onto the foot of his post.
If the R's first half penalty shout was optimistic, their second half appeal in the 50th minute was anything but.
Vine
robbed Shackell yet again out wide and when he cut inside the penalty
box, the Norwich centre-half was extremely fortunate not to give away a
spot-kick, as he grabbed a large chunk of his shirt and dragged the R's
loanee to ground.
Yet despite vocal appeals from the entire R's squad and the partisan supporters in the Loft, referee Walton was unmoved.
Rowlands
was leading the R's crusade, firing an ambitious 30-yard free-kick on
target, which Marshall dealt with, albeit at the second attempt.
It
was third time lucky for the R's in the 66th minute, when Vine nipped in
front of Murray, nudged the ball forward with his knee and was sent
tumbling to ground by Murray.
Walton had no hesitation this time,
pointing straight to the spot and Rowlands did the rest, thrashing a
powerful right foot drive in to the bottom left hand corner to hand
Rangers a thoroughly deserved opening goal.
Buoyed by their goal, the R's created a further two chances in as many minutes.
Ainsworth's
thunderous 30-yard volley was deflected wide via the head of Adam Drury
and from the resultant corner kick, the impressive Stewart saw his
stooping header acrobatically tipped over by Marshall.
The purple
patch continued, with Vine seeing his splendid 71st minute volley on the
turn tipped to safety by the Scottish custodian.
Norwich threatened
briefly when Darel Russell fired a speculative shot straight at Camp,
but the reaction of the City faithful said it all, as they mimicked
their sides' efforts with a jovial round of applause.
Ephraim was
denied the goal his virtuoso display undoubtedly deserved when his low,
close-range strike was blocked by Marshall at his near post, but it
mattered little, as the R's held on to bag all three points, for the
first time this season.
QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Bolder,
Ainsworth (Jarrett 86), Rowlands, Sahar (Moore 68), Ephraim (Timoska
90), Vine, Leigertwood, Cranie.
Attendance: 10, 514 QPR
QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Bolder, Ainsworth (Jarrett 85), Rowlands, Sahar (Moore 69), Ephraim, Vine, Leigertwood, Cranie
SUBS NOT USED: Cole (GK), Bignot, Timoska
Other Match Reports and comments
qprreport.blogspot.com/2007/10/qpr-vs-norwich-reports-and.html
