Rovers made it a very ‘Good Friday’ for their supporters as they secured a hattrick of wins following a convincing victory over Queens Park Rangers, as Tony Mowbray’s men continued their fine end of season run, by brushing aside a Rangers side who have not yet managed to mathematically secure their safety in the division.
With Rovers coming off the back of back-to-back victories against Derby County and Nottingham Forest, respectively, the team selection that Tony Mowbray chose to stride onto the Loftus Road turf, saw a single change to the starting-11 that dispatched Nottingham Forest aside, 6 days ago. Jayson Leutwiler slotted in between the posts for Rovers, as he notched his second appearance of the season – with the first coming against the same opposition in the reverse fixture at Ewood Park in November – as David Raya became the deputy for the day, taking his place on the bench.
As around 964 Rovers fans made the long trip down to London to support their team, despite being relatively rooted in mid-table, it was the away side who started the game through Bradley Dack, who was hoping to add to his goal tally of 13 in the league, in order to catch-up to Danny Graham’s 14 in the club’s goal standings, with the pair having 16 and 15 respectively, in total.
The first opportunity of the game fell to the home side after a couple of minutes of play as Paweł Wszołek half-volleyed Jayson Leutwiler’s punch, over the bar from just inside the penalty area.
On the 5th minute, Bradley Dack earnt his side a corner, but despite the good delivery, it was well claimed by QPR’s ‘keeper, Joe Lumley.
A few minutes later, on the 9th minute, saw Rovers’ best chance of the game so far. Adam Armstrong blitzed down the wing before drilling in a low cross that was aimed at Danny Graham who was just behind the penalty area. Although Graham was shaping up finish past Lumley, his effort was intercepted by Dack, who floated into the penalty area ahead of the forward and poked agonizingly wide of Lumley’s goal, as Graham looked on in despair.
The same combination of Armstrong and Dack occurred on the 13th minute, but this time with a different finisher. Armstrong once again scurried down the right-hand side before delivering into Dack who turned and laid the ball off for Corry Evans whose first-time shot was tipped behind by Lumley as the game remained goalless, as the corner was cleared.
By the 19th minute, Rovers should have been at least 2-0 up as Darragh Lenihan missed a great chance to nod Rovers ahead. A Joe Rothwell free-kick from the left-hand side saw Lenihan rise highest at the back-post in order to nod towards goal. Despite Lenihan’s original header falling inches wide of the post, Dack, who was closing in on the attempt, saw the ball narrowly escape his reach, as it diverted behind for a goal-kick.
The deadlock was finally broken on the 21st minute, as Josh Scowen – who conceded the penalty at Ewood Park which saw Rovers win that encounter – brought down Lewis Travis in the box as lightning struck twice as Danny Graham was offered the chance, from 12-yards, to grab his 15th goal of the league campaign and his 16th overall. The veteran forward duly obliged after a slight delay by the referee, as he powered the ball into the bottom right-corner of Lumley’s goal, despite the ‘keeper getting a hand on it, to make it 1-0 to the away side.
QPR nearly struck a quick equaliser, as on the 25th minute, Bright Osayi-Samuel hit a hard right-footed effort towards goal, but unluckily for him, it didn’t have the required dip to beat Leutwiler, as it went behind for a goal-kick.
Rovers nearly doubled their advantage a minute later, as Armstrong and Dack combined well to provide Elliott Bennett with a crossing opportunity. The cross by the makeshift full-back was a good one as it found it’s target in Danny Graham, who was lurking at the far-post. Unfortunately for the forward, he was unable to grab his second of the afternoon, as his header towards goal bounced the wrong side of the post, as QPR earnt another goal-kick.
On the 31st minute, Bradley Dack became the first player to fall into referee Tim Robinson’s book following the official returning to an earlier foul that he had played advantage for.
3 minutes later, Osayi-Samuel again tried his luck from inside the box, but like his previous effort, this one ended up behind the goal, in the stand, rather than in the net.
The 42nd minute came, and so did another Rovers chance. Derrick Williams did brilliantly well to find Armstrong with a high diagonal ball out to the right-hand side, which the number 7 did brilliantly to control, before driving into the area and releasing a shot that was blocked behind for a corner, which was soon nodded over the bar by Williams himself.
With only a single minute of added time called for by the referee, the final chance of the half fell to the home side, as they had a corner on the 45th minute. The corner came in and was missed by Leutwiler, who was claiming he’d been fouled. Meanwhile the ball dropped to Tomer Hemed who saw his shot from point-blank distance blocked behind by Lenihan for another corner. The second corner led to a third, which the home side were not allowed to take, as referee Tim Robinson called time on a first-half that had been dominated by Rovers for the majority.
As the half-time break got underway, there would have been mixed messages coming in from both dressing rooms regarding the respective performances that both managers would have witnessed during the opening 45 minutes.
Former Watford midfielder and current Rangers’ caretaker manager, John Eustace, would have seen glimpses of attacking quality from his side, particularly Jordan Cousins and Bright Osayi-Samuel, however he would have been lamenting their defensive efforts, with Rovers having cut through their backline more than they would have liked. The caretaker manager would have been wary of notifying and reminding his players of their defensive duties, going into the second-half, whilst focussing particular emphasis on their movement going forwards with the ball.
Tony Mowbray, in contrast, would have been the happier manager due to his side being in-front at the break, however he would have been right to warn his players about a potential attacking barrage from Rangers. Due to his side thoroughly dominating the half and getting a goal to show for it, the gaffer would have been praising the team for their fluid attacking football and would have been calling on them to continue their efforts, despite being wary of what the home side could offer going forwards, particularly after they had beaten Swansea City, 4-0, last Saturday.
As both teams returned for the second-half, unchanged, it was QPR who got the game back underway, however it only took 27 seconds for Rovers’ lead to change from 1-0, to 2-0, courtesy of Bradley Dack from close-range.
The playmaker, who grabbed his 14th league goal of the season with this effort, was able to capitalise on Rovers’ build-up play to find the net and double Rovers’ advantage. Adam Armstrong disposed a QPR man inside his own half, before finding Danny Graham on halfway, who held the ball up before laying the ball off to a teammate. The ball soon found its way out to Armstrong on the right-hand side, as the 22-year old who had the freedom of Loftus Road, stormed down the wing before curling in a cross directly into the 6-yard box, which allowed Dack to nod towards goal. His header was well denied by Lumley, but the ‘keeper couldn’t do anything about the follow-up, as Dack bundled home the rebound to make it 2-0.
Sadly, on the 48th minute, play was halted as Jordan Cousins required a stretcher following a collision with a Rovers man. As a result of Cousins’ departure, John Eustace introduced Nakhi Wells in his place, as Rangers looked to go more adventurous in their play.
Wszołek soon had his second opportunity of the game on the 54th minute, but saw his weak effort easily saved by Leutwiler.
Massimo Luongo became the second player to fall into the book, after he brought down Corry Evans with a late, scything challenge.
After the hour mark, both sides made changes to teams in order to freshen up their squads. The first and second changes of the day by Rovers, saw Corry Evans and Danny Graham – the latter of which was recovering from a collision with Luongo minutes prior – were withdrawn, as Jack Rodwell and Joe Nuttall replaced them. QPR’s second change, however, saw Tomer Hemed depart as former Fulham forward, Matt Smith replaced him.
On the 74th minute, the home side made their final alteration of the afternoon as Paweł Wszołek departed and was replaced by the talented youngster, Eberechi Eze.
Following the arrival of Eze, Rovers had a wonderful chance to put the game to bed through Jack Rodwell, but ultimately saw it deflect wide. Adam Armstrong, who had been magnificent throughout the whole game, delivered another sublime cross to Joe Rothwell, who teed the ball up for Jack Rodwell to strike, however the former Premier League winner was unable to guide his shot home, as it deflected behind for a corner, which QPR soon dealt with.
On the 81st minute, Osayi-Samuel was booked for a poor challenge on Bennett.
Rodwell was booked, 2 minutes later, for a foul on the halfway line.
Rovers’ final change of the afternoon came on the 86th minute, as Adam Armstrong departed to a standing ovation from the away support, before being replaced by Ben Brereton, for the final few minutes.
As the 90th minute approached, referee Tim Robinson signalled for an extra 6 minutes to be added, which came due to the injury to Jordan Graham, as the whole of Loftus Road gained confidence as they began to drive their team forwards.
That burst of encouragement from the home crowd seemed to have worked for their team, as 6’6” substitute, Matt Smith, grabbed a late goal on the 91st minute, in order to set up a nervy final few minutes for those from Lancashire. Luke Freeman saw his high cross loop into the box, before falling onto the head of Smith, who outjumped Leutwiler, following the Canadian’s missing the cross, as the former Fulham forward nodded into an empty net to reduce the arrears to 2-1.
The game soon wound down into an attack against defence affair, as Rovers did well to deny Rangers a second goal as their crosses and bombardment into the box was well denied by the valiant Rovers backline.
On the 93rd minute, Wells was booked for a foul on Amari’i Bell, whilst 4 minutes later, on the 97th minute, Jayson Leutwiler was booked for time-wasting.
The booking to the Rovers stand-in ‘keeper was the last action of the game, as Tim Robinson soon called an end to the match which had no doubt seen Rovers overcome their poor form, despite still falling foul to conceding late goals.
With Rovers extending their unbeaten run over the R’s to 15 games – with their last defeat to the Hoops, which came at Ewood Park, falling in October 1999 – they also extended their unbeaten run at Loftus Road to 10 games, with their last defeat at the stadium coming in November 1993, however despite these stats, the performance today – particularly the first hour of play – was what we as supporters have been accustomed to seeing and expecting from this team. The free-flowing attacking movement from the side, particularly the combination play between Bradley Dack and Adam Armstrong in the first-half, was something to marvel at, as they broke through the brittle Rangers defence on numerous occasions.
Although the overall performance was solid – bar the dampener by Matt Smith’s goal late on – Adam Armstrong must be singled out for praise as he used his pace to devastating effect. Alongside his speed, his delivery wasn’t poor as he provided the assist for Dack, on the second goal, whilst also creating numerous half-chances for the likes of Dack, Rothwell, Graham and Nuttall, when he came on. Whilst his more natural position is as a centre-forward, the striker-turned-winger has shown his value as an assist-maker to Rovers this season, in addition to chipping in with 8 goals in all competitions, throughout the course of the campaign.
Moving our attentions towards the league table, Rovers have done well to move up to 14th place, with 56 points and a -6-goal difference from the 43 games played, and with the potential to finish as high as 8th by the time the 46 games are done, Rovers and Tony Mowbray will surely keep their foot on the gas in order to wrap up what has, for the most part, been a positive season since their return to the Championship.
As we head into the final trio of games in the season, Rovers now return to Ewood Park on Easter Monday, (22nd April) at 3pm, to face recently relegated neighbours, Bolton Wanderers, who fell foul to the drop following their 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa. Once Bolton depart Ewood, Rovers are back on the road, for the final time this season, as they head down to face an almost promoted Norwich City side at Carrow Road on Saturday, 27th April at 7:30pm, with the game also set to be shown live on Sky Sports. Finally, to round off the campaign, Tony Mowbray and his men will lock horns with Graham Potter and his Swansea City side on Sunday, 5th May at 12:30pm, in the hope of wrapping up what has been a solid return to the second tier, with a victory.
