MK Dons v QPR

FA Cup 3rd Round

Team: Cerny, Young, Hill, Hall, Gabbidon, Derry (Buzsaky), Faurlin, Mackie, Smith, Campbell (Helguson), Macheda (Bothroyd).

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Orr, Connolly, Andrade

Attendance: 19,506 (Stadium record and including over 5,000 R’s fans)

I thought that it was another inept, and at times diabolical performance. Helguson managed to get us out of jail, and eased the pressure which is now mounting on Neil Warnock…..the natives are not happy. So no real surprise about the result, given our current form, and the team selected. Again, we gave the ball away too cheaply, made elementary mistakes, looked disjointed, lacked confidence and void of ideas in the last third.

There was an improvement in the 2nd half, but we always looked suspect at the back. Our work rate was poor and our movement off the ball even poorer. The players are showing their frustration, and at times there is simply no one showing for the ball. It’s a real problem, which if not addressed, will see the end of us. Neil Warnock will need to get it bang on in this transfer window if he is to have any chance of making a fist of it…time will tell.

MK Stadium ? If we ever build anything like that then I would pack the game in. Like the town, no soul, no atmosphere, no ‘football’ fans, no history, no nothing, no point !

Jimmy Murray

It was very, very poor. We deserved nothing. Very few players did anything to write home about. DJ Campbell was woeful. Macheda had a fair game, but no one really stood out, at least not in a positive sense. Most of the team gave the impression that they really did not want to be there.

The only R’s player who would have scored that equaliser was Heidar Helguson. The rest would have just sat on their arses after being dispossessed. Some great quick thinking from him, but it worries the hell out of me that he is the only one of our players who looks capable of scoring – maybe Jamie Mackie excluded. I like Tommy Smith but he did nothing.

I’m choked that Faurlin was injured. He had not had a good game by his standards, but he will leave a huge gap that I doubt we can properly fill. Let’s hope that it’s not a long term injury. The curse of a big R’s away support continues…the chant, from our own fans, of: “Premiership ? You’re Having a Laugh” summed it up. MK Dons were the better side if truth be told.

Martin Percival

The MK Dons fans in a record 19,506 crowd sang: “You’re getting beat by a franchise,” after Dean Bowditch’s strike across Radek Cerny looked to have authored a genuine FA Cup shock for the League One team over Neil Warnock’s Premier League strugglers. But then Heidar Helguson rounded David Martin just before the end of normal time for an undeserved equaliser to take the tie back to Loftus Road on Tuesday week and ease some of the pressure on his manager,

After Tony Fernandes, the Queens Park Rangers owner tweeted on Friday that nobody’s job was safe, Warnock had ended his week of anger by choosing a strong X1 that missed Joey Barton due to his suspension and had Helguson on the bench. Warnock’s ire had begun on Monday and was still rumbling on Friday due to the red card Barton received against Norwich City and the subsequent unsuccessful appeal. But after directing his energies at match officials and the Football Association he knew Fernandes’s comments were offered due to a run of 2 points from 24 and that a win was required.

But QPR were disappointing throughout, taking until the half-hour to offer a first real threat. Before then, it was the Dons who pressed, the strength of Jabo Ibehre and the craft of the former Manchester United winger Luke Chadwick pinning their opponents back. When QPR awoke, Tommy Smith raced down the right and flipped in a ball that DJ Campbell might have attacked better before the contest’s pattern returned.

Daniel Powell had a penalty shout ignored when his pass appeared to hit Clint Hill’s arm. QPR’s afternoon took a further dive when Alejandro Faurlin was carried off to leave them with 10 men for the closing minutes. But at least Helguson managed to snatch a draw.

Jamie Jackson – The Guardian

No 4-4-2 unfortunately, Macheda played wide left, knocked some good balls into the box. DJ Campbell didn’t look fit. Incredible how the ref didn’t award them a penalty in the 1st half, Clint Hill’s arm was up when the ball hit it. We started off more purposely after the interval until conceding the goal. How many times did we knock the ball around up to the half-way line only to pass it back or hit an unsuccessful long ball. Two goals disallowed, one for each side. Little movement and I noticed some R’s players waving their arms at team mates in anger and frustration.

The introduction of Helguson changed the game. He took his goal really well. I thought that the ref might have awarded a free kick to them, but he stayed up on his feet, composed himself before coolly slotting the ball away Faurlin went down in serious distress and was then stretchered off which left us with 10 men. Fingers crossed that his injury is not as serious as it looked.

We got seriously lost after the game, but we eventually found the car thanks to the assistance of a passing local. Thanks to Jimmy for the lift.

Steve Russell

(The above pics were taken by Martin Percival and used with his permission)