Team: Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Gorkss, Hill, Leigertwood, Faurlin, Ephraim (Cook), Taarabt, Simpson (German), Priskin (Vine).
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Oastler, Buzsaky, Balanta.
Attendance: 13,405
This was one of those games that you would describe as a “six pointer” for Rangers, whatever that means ? The team walked out into a Loftus Road not quite bathed in sunshine, but certainly lit up by it, yet the floodlights were strangely on from the beginning ? As per normal, we started off attacking the School End, inhabited by some topless Northerners for the day. The 1st half was one of the dullest and most boring that I have seen for a while. My dad turned to reading the programme after just 20 minutes and I was starting to feel the effects of a late night and was close to drifting off, before Alejandro Faurlin smashed a short worked corner into the net from no more than six yards. Congratulations to him on his first Rangers goal, let’s hope there’s many more to come.
This was an occasion when one of Taarabt’s (wearing gloves for some reason) mazy aimless runs actually paid off. The corner came from one of Priskin’s three glorious chances to score, but for him to either blast it over, or straight at the keeper. If he was at least scoring, I’d put up with his lazy, rather useless style of playing.
In the 2nd half, Wednesday came back into it a bit, probably following a dressing down from Irvine at half-time but it took them until the 77th minute to have their first, and in typical Rangers style, only shot on target (according to the BBC, although I remember a couple of other tame efforts). Rangers were attacking when the ball broke loose on the edge of the box, the keeper came out to claim it whilst Priskin stood there and watched, then appealed for something (still not quite sure what, perhaps he is unaware that you are allowed to jump for the ball). The keeper threw the ball out quickly, and within 30 seconds, the left back Spurr, crossed it in for Tom Soares to head in at the back post. Cue the usual substitution of Ephraim, with Cook coming on. Finally in the 89th minute, Vine replaced Priskin, but to no avail. So a 1-1 draw with the visitors leaving very satisfied and Warnock leaving very frustrated.
Player Ratings:
Ikeme: 6 – Not at fault for the goal, nothing else to do in his last home game for the R’s. Thank you Carl and good luck for the future.
Ramage: 6 – Perhaps caught a bit central for the goal, otherwise ok.
Stewart: 6 – Decent game and got an assist too.
Gorkss: 6/7 – More commanding than Stewart.
Hill: 5/6 – Another average performance. Tosic must be wondering already what he’s gotta do to get in.
Leigertwood: 6 – Steady performance.
Faurlin: 7 – He took his goal well and another decent performance.
Ephraim: 7 – I thought that he played pretty well again, but to be removed, again.
Taarabt: 6 – He still frustrates all around him, especially Hogan. I sense that the fans were beginning to get frustrated at him too (correct me if I’m wrong, just the general feeling around me).
Simpson: 6 – A little bit absent from the game, injury possibly hampering him.
Priskin: 3 – Picked presumably for his physical presence, which he shows as much of as an ant (although that is perhaps doing them an injustice, they can be pretty strong when you step on them after all). Most people get “go-faster” stripes, the Hungarian gets a pink “go even slower” stripe on his purple boots !
Sam Phillipps