| Pos. 10th (24pts) | SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2019 | Pos. 22nd (13pts) | ||
| QPR | 2-2 | Boro | ||
| Wells (25) Howson (44 o.g.) |
61% 14(7) 8 20 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
39% 9(4) 6 9 |
Assombalonga (23,69) |
Britt makes a point
What was left of Woodgate’s Red and White Army marched down to Loftus Road to take on the R’s and of course former Boro hit man Hugill although there is a certain amount of poetic licence in the use of the term “hit man” because “grass stained” didn’t have quite the same ring to it. With no less than nine first team players allegedly out for this one the excuses were as good as dusted off and polished before a ball had even been kicked (and over the QPR crossbar most likely).
It looked like our third choice Keeper albeit signed as second choice and back up to injured but Internationally selected Randolph would have to deputise for the current back up Aynsley Pears. Once such a thought would have struck fear, anguish and torment into the hearts of Boro fans but it had a certain depressively amusing feel to it under the current backdrop.
QPR had fitness concerns of their own with CB Toni Lester and Yoann Barbet both doubtful. A win could, pending other results, send the R’s into the Play Off spots whereas a win for Boro might see them leap frog Luton and jump out of the bottom three by a solitary point, if Luton were to win or draw it would mean that Boro remain with one foot in the trapdoor over the International break.
The two o’clock team news was full of surprises, Randolph was back along with Friend and Fletcher all miraculously deemed fit enough to start although there had to have been a huge question mark over Friend’s fitness levels over 90 minutes. Pears was also seemingly fit enough to deputise on the bench with a “finger” injury (doesn’t say much for Mejias) and youngster Tyrone O’Neil was also sat alongside. It looked like a back three with Ayala, Fry and Friend with Johnson and Howson as Wing Backs and McNair back in midfield. No Saville of course through suspension but Clayts was still on the bench with a dynamic looking midfield trio of Tav, Paddy and Wing.
On paper this was probably the strongest side Boro could put out so it would be interesting to see how they shape up against a side that has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 21 games. Surely even Assombalonga and Fletcher could manage one between them? Ref David Coote got the game started a few minutes behind schedule after the last post for Remembrance Day tomorrow with Boro kicking off towards the Home end. Boro enjoyed impressive possession in the opening minutes and after a foul on Johnson the free kick ball delivered by the very same Johnson arrived at Ayala who stooped to conquer but frustratingly was ruled offside after thinking he had put Boro ahead.
A minute later McNair collected a loose ball in midfield feeding Assombalonga who was stopped in his tracks by Wallace as he closed in on goal. QPR were living on their nerves and living up to never keeping a clean sheet reputation in full technicolour. Eight minutes in and Boro were looking comfortable and also unusually confident with McNair now taking a turn to fire in a blocked shot. Eze came closest to scoring for the “R’s” hitting Randolph’s side netting on nine minutes. A double Boro corner in quick succession were then eventually cleared for a Boro throw in as we continued the onslaught. Tavernier lost possession allowing QPR to get back at Boro but we closed them down quickly forcing Rangers to carelessly lose possession once again.
A very bright Boro start indeed we needed to get something from this quickly otherwise all the energy could subside and we could be caught cold. Just before the quarter hour mark Manning ominously hit the side netting again for Rangers. Boro then went close via a Tavernier header after a great series of interplay between Fletcher, Assombalonga and McNair. Marvin Johnson got in a block on Amos after Manning again broke to prevent Boro being embarrassed. The resulting near post corner saw Fry take the ball clear but Wells brought him down and in doing so easing the pressure on Randolph’s goal.
Then the moment that Boro fans had been desperate for. On twenty-three minutes a bustling break down the right from Howson saw Britt finally break his drought with a glancing diving header to put Boro deservedly one up. Manning immediately had Boro panicking after the restart driving QPR forward once again and unattended Nahki Wells pulled the teams level from a Chair pass in the packed Boro box with Red shirts feebly protesting he was offside. One each all within 90 seconds. It has to be said that despite Boro being good value they were looking very susceptible on counter attacks especially via Manning.
A collision between Fletcher and Wells provided a bit of breathing space as Wells seemed to come off worse. Wells was starting to influence the game for Rangers along with Manning as Boro’s early pressure had now started to wane somewhat. You felt that after that euphoric Britt goal being pegged back so quickly that Boro had lost their mojo. Eze then put a ball into the Boro six-yard box as Wells got a header in for Randolph to get a glove to it to put it out for a corner. Rangers were now looking by far the more likely to take the lead with Boro desperately needing to hold on to avoid a demoralising second Rangers goal.
An in-swinging Rangers cross required Johnson to put the ball out for a corner to the home side and fortunately for Boro after a short corner routine Eze was adjudged to have been offside as he received the ball back again. Randolph took his time in taking the free kick to set Boro up on the front foot in the Rangers half. As the game see sawed it was Manning again fizzing another ball into Boro’s danger zone with Wells getting something on it, Randolph having to be alert on the greasy surface to keep the scores level with just three minutes of first half normal time remaining.
A late QPR corner was delivered in from the right with Randolph initially getting to Grant Hall’s header but it came off Howson to sickeningly go into the net. To me it looked like a ball that the experienced Keeper should have just caught instead of pushing it onto the hapless Howson but that’s what happens when you are down in the dead zone.
Just what we were fearing had materialised as Rangers were now ahead just before the interval. Boro at this stage were looking nothing like the side that had started so lively having had a goal disallowed and then taking the lead only to be pegged back and then falling behind.
Wells found foolishly himself in David Coote’s book after lashing out at Johnson for no obvious or clear reason. The deep dying seconds of the half saw Ayala cut out another threat for a QPR corner but the whistle went to end proceedings. Boro had started really well but fell behind as a result of some very poor marking. Both Wells and Hall had had too much room and space albeit in Hall’s case there was some clever off the ball blocking off to give him a clear heading opportunity.
What had started with grounds for optimism in the opening twenty minutes for the Travelling Army had ended with “Typical Boro” disappointment. Woodgate and Keane now had to re-energise their charges during the half time break to see if they could come out and repeat their energetic opening tempo of the first half. An equaliser for Boro would hit Rangers confidence but a third for Rangers would kill the game off as a contest.
Boro started the second period lively as we had hoped with first Tav testing and then Friend earning a throw in from which Johnson returned it to him winning an early Corner. McNair sent it in, Lumley punched clear and McNair adjudged offside when he received the return ball from Johnson who had collected Lumley’s punched clearance. Dael Fry had to be on his toes to intercept the first real Rangers threat of the half as a timely reminder that the R’s speed could be dangerous.
A Friend delivered free kick reached Fletcher who was brought down by Cameron as he tried to get around the defender, he was pegged back. As Boro were trying to get the ball for the set piece Wallace earned a booking for kicking the ball away. Rangers had been keeping a high line and despite the poor Johnson free kick Tavernier won the ball back from Eze’s miss control earning another Boro free kick in a good area. Lewis Wing lined up his sights but fired in a trade mark rocket free kick just flying over Lumley’s crossbar. Boro tenaciously regained possession again as they kept up their onslaught, pushing forward Luton style applying pressure up on the Rangers backline.
The game was starting to get a little loose and scrappy as Boro desperately pushed and chased and Rangers equally desperate in trying to compose themselves. Approaching sixty minutes and a Randolph goal kick saw Boro once again try and unlock the rickety Rangers backline, keeping possession and passing the ball around patiently but Rangers won it back and Eze and Chair between them earned a pressure relieving corner for the home side. From the resulting corner Manning cut in from the right forcing Randolph into palming it away for another corner. Howson headed it clear to Tav who in turn set up Britt who was brought down as Manning received a talking to for the challenge.
Warburton then made a double tactical substitution with Chair going off for Hugill and Amos departing for Scowen. Finally, the delayed resultant deep free kick from McNair eventually saw a weak shot at Lumley which didn’t really threaten. Wing then delivered a ball in to Britt who got his shot away to the far corner but the scores still remained 2-1 to the home side. Howson was then brought off for Dijksteel as Woodgate made a switch to try and get something from the game and possibly to deal with the additional bulk of Hugill.
Overhit balls were regularly going into both boxes now with neither side capable of getting on the end of them, in truth both defences were looking porous. QPR won a harmless throw in in their own half and somehow the up until then impressive Manning attempted a ludicrous 40-yard back pass and incredibly just as Boro looked like they would get no luck Britt pounced on it to confidently dink the ball over the advancing Lumley. This was more like the Britt Boro had paid £15m for, unrecognisable from that sheepish smirking penalty misser. Twenty minutes remained for Boro to take the upper hand and with their tails up they were looking good value for a third but that risk was still there from Rangers and another break saw Hugill evade Ayala in the pouring rain to win a corner. The resultant corner came in and yet another free header required Randolph to rescue Boro, phew!
Clayts was brought on for Tavernier on 87 minutes (who had enjoyed a decent game) presumably to get in amongst it in the middle of the pitch to break things up. Dijksteel then went in on Hugill who as usual went down but still managed to get a shot in on Randolph. Immediately after it was Randolph to the rescue again with our man marking once more looking atrocious with Clayton alone in trying to close down two men as Eze laid siege. This game still looked like it had goals in it and could go either way despite only eight minutes remaining. Rangers were clearly adept attackers but their defending was absolutely woeful and blindingly obvious as to why they fail to keep clean sheets.
Britt was then dragged back and David Coote somehow deemed it just a free kick but not a second yellow for Hall and with it a sending off. Next up it was Hugill who this time had to be alert defending in his own area, heading clear for a Boro corner from which McNair whipped into the far corner of the six-yard box only for Lumley to tip out. Johnson quickly delivered the resulting corner which was cleared yet again for another Boro corner which was eventually delivered into a melee’ with Rangers hanging on, just managing to keep Boro from taking another lead.
In response Wells broke from Dijksteel and as the cross came in it was cleared up field to Fletcher who was routinely taken out by Hall with only three minutes remaining. The free kick was fed out wide, delivered in and Assombalonga just had the ball robbed off his toe as Rangers broke with Hugill losing Dijksteel to almost nick it for the R’s.
The game now swung down the other end and again Fletcher was dragged back, this time by Cameron to earn a late yellow. The delivered ball was again headed clear only for a Boro cross to come in from Friend to go out for a throw in. Johnson then cut in and despite having his shirt tugged managed to get the ball into the danger zone. Lumley collected the loose ball and cleared out for Rangers to launch an attack which fortunately came to nothing going out for a goal kick.
Eze broke and in doing so evading a Clayts attempt to pull him down, then as he continued his charge forward Fry barged him 25 yards out collecting a yellow with two minutes remaining. Manning sent it the free kick which was deflected by the Boro wall out towards the corner flag where Britt back defending cleared it off a hooped shirt for a Boro goal kick. Randolph was booked for dawdling in his restricted effort to retrieve it. Five minutes of stoppage time had expired and a final free kick to Boro signalled the end of the day’s action.
There were some terrible defending moments from Boro but overall this game was a marked improvement for Boro and if Woodgate is to somehow cling on this has to be a defining moment in the season. That said our two goals were as a result of equally poor defending so perhaps in reality not indicative of change in fortune but at least Britt scored a brace which might boost his hitherto shot confidence. MOM was the same Britt with Randolph and Johnson also running him close. Not getting beat and an away point was perhaps some comfort for those brave enough to glance at the League table.