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Monday, February 14, 2011

QPR Report Monday Update: Miller Being Recalled by WBA?...Nottingham Forest Match Reports & Comments

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-Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard...Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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- Changes in the FA Cup?

- Messageboard Year Flashback: Advocating QPR Should Do More for Aging Ex-QPR Players (Remians just as true today)

- FA Statement on Players Use of Social Networking Sites (Twitter, etc)

- On this Day in Football and for QPR

- Claim about Further Comments by Richard Keys

- QPR's Season-by-Season Championship Points Total Since Premiership Relegation

- Ex-QPR Bertie Brayley Joins Harlow

- Old Videos

- A second book about Bernie Ecclestone


MIRROR/Football Spy - Baggies set to recall QPR loan striker
- Roy Hodgson is set to recall striker Ishmael Miller from his loan spell at Queens Park Rangers.
- Miller joined Rangers on a three-month deal last month but West Brom can take him back after 28 days.
- Miller’s first month at Loftus Road will come to an end next week. Mirror


QPR vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST

VIDEO

QPR 31 31 60
Cardiff 30 14 54
Norwich 31 10 54
Nott'm Forest 29 16 53
Swansea 31 11 53
Leeds 31 10 52
Leicester 31 1 48
Burnley 30 9 46
Millwall 31 9 46
Hull 31 4 45
Watford 29 10 43
Reading 30 11 42 BBC


QPR Official Site - WARNOCK: NOT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Neil Warnock remained upbeat after the final whistle at Loftus Road this afternoon as QPR drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest.

Billy Davies' side were forced to play almost 70 minutes with ten men due to Radoslaw Majewski's sending off for a challenge on Adel Taarabt.

"It's not a missed opportunity," said the R's gaffer. "I think it's a good point. It's not today's game that will decide our fate - it's the 15 games that are left.

"If you'd have offered me this position at the start of the season with 15 games left I would have snapped your hand off. We're doing alright.

"Sometimes it can be hard against ten men, as we showed at Reading in our last match."

Warnock admitted he was disappointed with the way in which the visitors cancelled out Tommy Smith's 16th-minute opener.

David McGoldrick deflected Lewis McGugan's long-range free-kick beyond the reach of Paddy Kenny on 26 minutes, and Warnock said: "The freekick we gave away which led to their goal was a schoolboy error. I was disappointed with my centre halves today."

Wayne Routledge was felled in the area late on but Warnock said he had no complaints with the performance of Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg.

"There's contact there but, let's be fair, I wish we had referees like him every week," said Warnock. "I thought the three officials were all good today."
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/TheGaffer/0,,10373~2292514,00.html


BBC - David McGoldrick deflected in for Forest to make it 1-1
By Andrew McKenzie

Nottingham Forest produced a battling 10-man performance to secure a hard-earned point at leaders QPR.

QPR took the lead with virtually their first attack as Tommy Smith cut inside to curl in a 25-yard left-foot shot.

Forest were reduced to 10 men when Radoslaw Majewski was sent off for an ugly two-footed lunge on Adel Taarabt.

The visitors levelled when a Lewis McGugan free-kick took a deflection off David McGoldrick to beat Paddy Kenny and they held out doggedly for a point.

It means Rangers boss Neil Warnock saw his men extend their lead to six points at the top, while the visitors edge above Swansea into fourth place.

The result brought to an end Forest's impressive run of six straight wins as they missed the chance to equal a club record run of league victories.

But the manner in which they held their opponents at bay for over an hour with a man disadvantage will only add to their growing confidence.

Marshalled brilliantly by the immense presence of Wes Morgan alongside Luke Chambers, Forest's resolute back line restricted the free-scoring west Londoners to limited chances in the second half of a lively and competitive game held in blustery conditions at Loftus Road.

Apart from a Bradley Orr header that was cleared off the line by Chris Gunter, the home side's best efforts on goal came via largely speculative efforts from outside the box.

Warnock's men had taken the lead against the run of play when Smith, returning to the side after a hamstring injury, was given too much time and space outside the box and he was able to pick his spot with a beautifully executed strike.

Forest's hopes of getting back into the game looked unlikely when Majewski was sent off.

The Pole caught Taarabt high on the ankle right under the nose of referee Mark Clattenburg, who had no hesitation - and little option - but to show a straight red card.

However, three minutes later Forest got more than a touch of fortune when McGugan's speculative 30-yard free-kick went in off McGoldrick's knee.

The visitors could have even taken the lead when Kenny kept out a powerful header from Morgan with an instinctive outstretch of the leg.

Clattenburg dismissed QPR's desperate appeals for a penalty when Wayne Routledge went tumbling in the box late on, while fourth official Peter Walton also had his hands full keeping Warnock and opposite number Billy Davies in check as the tackles flew in.


QPR boss Neil Warnock on Routledge's penalty appeal:
"There's definitely contact. But let's be fair, I wish we had referees like that every week.

"It's always difficult against 10 men but our strikers could have done more. To concede a goal like that is Sunday league stuff and the equaliser summed it up, how lucky can you be?

"If we'd have been tight for that period they would have had to come out rather than park the bus. But these are good points. Today's game won't decide our fate, the 15 we have left will."

Forest manager Billy Davies: "We had to play for 70 minutes with 10 men and when you work hard all week on your shape and that happens, it's a disaster.

"I don't think there can be a complaint, it's a clear airborne challenge. It was naive and stupid.

"But even with 10 men we looked dangerous and we deserve credit after our game plan was blown to bits. My back five were magnificent. It's a great point and a well-deserved one."
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/9389829.stm


SKY - Warnock - Tough against ten QPR boss left frustrated by resolute Reds
By Chris Burton Last updated: 13th February 2011

..Neil Warnock was forced to acknowledge that Queens Park Rangers struggled to break down ten-man Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

A 1-1 draw with in-from Forest helped Rangers stretch their lead at the top of the Championship to six points, but they will feel they should be further clear.

Billy Davies' Reds saw Radoslaw Majewski dismissed shortly after Tommy Smith had broken the deadlock, forcing them to play 70 minutes one man light.

QPR were unable to make the most of their numerical advantage, though, with Warnock accepting afterwards that his side had been short of their best.

"It's hard against ten men isn't it? It was summed up by their equaliser, I mean how lucky can you get?" he told Sky Sports, referring to David McGoldrick's leveller which saw him divert a Lewis McGugan free-kick past a wrong-footed Paddy Kenny.

"Our two centre-halves, how they let things like that develop for the goal. The free-kick for the goal is a schoolboy error and I'm disappointed in them two today. I didn't see any other threat really.
"We gave them a goal back and against ten men it's difficult. Obviously we had the share of the game, but it's always hard against ten men - as we showed at Reading."

Fate
Warnock refused to see a draw as a poor result, though, as Forest arrived at Loftus Road on the back of six straight wins.

A point also keeps QPR clear of the chasing pack and well on course for a return to the Premier League.

"Not really, they are good players," said Warnock when asked if two points had slipped through his grasp.

"It's not going to be today's game, it's going to be the 15 that are left that will decide our fate.

"If you had told that with 15 left we would be where we are at the start of the season, I would have snapped your hand off. We are doing alright and I'm sure we will continue to do that." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11711_6750377,00.html


Gazette/Yann Tear - Matt Connolly error cost us - Neil Warnock
NEIL WARNOCK lay the blame for the dropped points against Nottingham Forest squarely at the door of Matt Connolly after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Loftus Road.

The defender gave away a soft free-kick for a shove on Marcus Tudgay from which the 10-man visitors clawed an unlikely equaliser as the Rs failed to press home their advantage.

“It's always difficult against 10 men as who know from our game against Reading last week, but at the end of the day, to concede a goal like we did is a Sunday league job,” said the Hoops boss.

“Giving away a foul like that for the free-kick was absolutely pathetic. He [Connolly] is playing against one man and we've got two centre halves.

“[Why not] just let it go through to the keeper or not foul him? If he [Tudgay] heads it, where's it going to go? I can't get it out of my mind.

“I thought if we'd been tight for that period, they would have had to come out rather than park the bus.

“I still think it's a decent point, but I'm disappointed.”

Warnock conceded that Rangers looked less potent after the break when their scorer Tommy Smith went off with a recurrence of a hamstring strain which will keep him out for a couple of weeks.

“We just needed that little bit more nous, which I thought Tommy Smith gave us. The way he took his goal was superb and I thought he looked a threat all the time.

“Of all the players today, I thought he was the one that could unlock the door.”
http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/west-london-sport/qpr/2011/02/13/matt-connolly-error-cost-us-neil-warnock-64767-28164421/


GUARDIAN - Ten-man Nottingham Forest hold on to make their point against QPR
Jamie Jackson at Loftus Road guardian.co.uk, Sunday 13 February

Queens Park Rangers ended this contest as they began it, still clear at the head of the Championship, yet this represented two points dropped against what became a 10-man Nottingham Forest side from 23 minutes.

Neil Warnock said he was content with the point but disappointed at how Billy Davies's team were able to engineer their equaliser. "The free-kick for the goal is a schoolboy error," the QPR manager said after Radoslaw Majewski had earlier been shown a red card for a two-footed lunge at Adel Taarabt. "To concede like we did was Sunday league. Giving a foul like that [from Matthew] Connolly was pathetic. Where was [Marcus] Tudgay going?"

If Connolly's infringement was not required, then Warnock could also have been unhappy that Lewis McGugan's delivery of the free-kick travelled 35yards with no defender intervening before pinballing off David McGoldrick to wrong-foot Paddy Kenny and level the scores.

"For [close to] 70 minutes we had 10 men, so our game plan was blown apart," said Davies, who then offered a scathing assessment of Majewski. "It was a very stupid red card, naive. [We have] club discipline – he'll be fined and fined heavily, like the rest of us when we do something that lets the team down. He knows himself, he's apologised to me afterwards. But we deserved to get the point. Defensively we were first-class."

Tommy Smith had commenced festivities by scoring his fifth goal for QPR after 16 minutes. Rob Hulse's clever diagonal run pulled Wes Morgan with him to open up yards of space in front of Lee Camp into which Smith ran before launching a left-foot rocket that left the keeper with no chance.

Warnock identified the removal of the former Portsmouth forward at half-time due to a hamstring injury as crucial. "Tommy Smith was the key. When he went off we lacked nous," he said. "It's the same hamstring [as before], so he should be out for two weeks."

Taarabt had again been his side's dominant force but his threat was too sporadic and, as the teams emerged for the second half, Warnock surely reminded the playmaker and his colleagues that their one-man advantage meant the win was there for the taking. Instead Taarabt started the period by being booked by Mark Clattenburg following a wild swing of a boot at Morgan, which revealed a bubbling frustration at Forest's determination to cling on.

Better, for QPR, was Alejandro Faurlín, who had played in Smith for the opener and whose 54th-minute shot zipped past Camp's left post to offer a directive to team-mates. This suggested QPR's subtlety should be discarded as Taarabt's trickery continued to be neutered and also that Forest should be attacked from wide while pinging in more shots at Camp.

Yet only further frustration ensued. Shaun Derry and Kaspars Gorkss each clipped opponents to follow Taarabt into Clattenburg's book and, as proceedings wore on, there was a sense that Davies's men might even depart west London with an unlikely victory that would have rocketed morale off the scale.

This, though, did not occur. And QPR had two gilt-edged changes to claim the win for themselves. First, Chris Gunter pulled back Wayne Routledge in the area but Clattenburg judged this was a dive not a penalty. Then Gunter headed a Bradley Orr effort off the line.

Forest have still not lost a game in the league since the end of November and hope to continue the run at Sc**thorpe United on Wednesday evening before the visit of Cardiff City, who are a point better off in second place but have played a match more.

Man of the match Tommy Smith (Queens Park Rangers)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/13/nottingham-forest-qpr


TELEGRAPH By Neil Trainis
`Queens Park Rangers may be six points clear at the top of the Championship and unbeaten in seven games but yesterday they struggled to contain a team reduced to 10 men.

A draw with Nottingham Forest, undergoing a stark rejuvenation under Billy Davies, is by no means fatal to QPR’s prospects.

It was, though, noticeable that after Radoslaw Majewski had been sent off for a dangerous tackle on Adel Taarabt in the first half, the hosts struggled to keep at bay depleted opposition.

Indeed, Forest produced the resilience and spirit which had taken them to the brink of a club-record seventh successive league win.

Forest, unbeaten in the Championship since Nov 29, are ferociously combative. Yet it was not until Majewski’s dismissal that they made life uncomfortable for QPR.

Both his feet were off the ground as he made the challenge and referee Mark Clattenburg had little option but to show the red card. “I don’t think there’s any complaint,” Davies conceded. “It looked like red. It was a bit stupid and naive. But in 70 minutes with 10 men we’ve worked a lot on shape and positional play. That’s great credit to the players. If the season finished tomorrow, they would be heroes.”

Warnock, a prolific complainer about officials, wrong-footed everyone by suggesting: “Mark Clattenburg was superb. When you get a top ref, it makes it easy.”

The dismissal, though, did Forest no harm at all. They might have been deflated when Tommy Smith picked up a pass from Alejandro Faurlin, surged towards goal and found the corner of the net with a precise shot.

Forest, however, still kept battling, Luke Chambers throwing himself in front of goal-bound drives from Taarabt and Wayne Routledge.

At the other end, Forest stunned the home team with several sharp counter-attacks and levelled when Lewis McGugan’s free-kick flicked off David McGoldrick and trickled past Paddy Kenny. That was no way for the goalkeeper to celebrate his 500th professional appearance.

Warnock vented his spleen at defenders Kaspars Gorkss and Matthew Connolly, who fouled Marcus Tudgay in the build-up, for failing to prevent the ball reaching McGoldrick.

“It’s very hard against 10 men,” Warnock said. “The free-kick for the goal was a schoolboy error. I’m disappointed in those two.’’

QPR again had to endure a fixture in which Taarabt was shunted to the periphery and there was little invention to fill that void. But they were revitalised briefly by the introduction of Ismael Miller for Smith.

Yet Forest, like many before them, had forced QPR into looking nothing like barnstorming leaders destined for the Premier League.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/8322385/Queens-Park-Rangers-1-Nottingham-Forest-1-match-report.html


INDEPENDENT Forest hold out for point after 'stupid' sending off
By Arindam Rej at Loftus Road

Nottingham Forest's sturdy and stubborn defensive efforts, for 67 minutes with 10 men, earned a point that ensured their fans were celebrating vigorously despite watching a long winning streak end. Three points here would have given Forest their seventh successive league victory – a club record last achieved by Brian Clough's 1979 side. Clough would not have approved of the aggressive gamesmanship shown by the modern Forest though, as they targeted Queen's Park Rangers playmaker Adel Taarabt for regular, rough treatment.

Once Radoslaw Majewski lunged at Taarabt and was rightly sent off, with Rangers already 1-0 ahead, a victory was never likely. To come back to 1-1 shortly after that incident and hold on to a point showed just how mentally and physically strong Forest's defence is. It keeps them seven points behind leaders QPR with two games in hand.

"It was a stupid, naïve red card," said the Forest manager, Billy Davies. "He will be fined, and fined heavily. Our game plan was blown apart, but our defence was first-class." Davies added that his team are still "three players short of challenging for automatic promotion," but many of his younger players showed their worth. They were helped by QPR's lethargic start. In the opening minute Marcus Tudgay struck a post from close range. Although he was deemed offside, it was a startling welcome to the game for Rangers' back four.

Taarabt's first impressive contribution was a well-flighted cross from the right. The ball was cleared to Alejandro Faurlin whose 20-yard shot deflected off Tommy Smith and went wide. Faurlin and Smith made amends by combining for the well-crafted 16th minute goal. Faurlin's pass allowed Smith to cut inside from the right. He charged 20 yards forward and curled in a low shot from outside the 18-yard area.

Forest's difficulties were compounded midway through the first half when Majewski let his frustrations blur his thinking. He slid in, two-footed, on Taarabt and was dismissed. But a moment of fortune brought the visitors level. Matthew Connolly fouled Tudgay leading to a free-kick.Lewis McGugan took the set-piece which was deflected by the QPR wall on to David McGoldrick's thigh. The Forest striker knew little about it but his touch diverted the ball in.

Forest continued playing an open game with both sides exchanging half-chances. Taarabt came nearest with a deft 25-yard shot. Faurlin almost scored a deserved goal early in the second half. His sweetly struck drive was off-target, though.

Forest had another nervous moment in the 73rd minute when Wayne Routledge crumpled in the box when challenged by Chris Gunter but no penalty was given. Gunter then earned the gratitude of his team-mates as he cleared Bradley Orr's header off the line following a Taarabt corner.

Queen's Park Rangers (4-2-3-1): Kenny; Orr, Gorkss (Chimbonda, 73), Connolly, Hill; Derry, Faurlin (Moen 79); Routledge, Taarab, Smith (Miller, 46); Hulse. Substitutes not used Cerny (gk), Hall, Helguson, Shittu.

Booked Taarabt, Gorkss, Derry.

Nottingham Forest (4-4-1-1): Camp; Gunter, Morgan, Chambers, Konchesky; McGugan (Anderson, 68, McKenna, Majewski, Cohen; McGoldrick (Tyson 74); Tudgay (Lynch 46). Substitutes not used Smith (gk), Adebola, Earnshaw, Moloney.

Booked Tyson Sent off Majewski (23)

PossessionQPR 57% Forest 43%

Shots on target QPR 11 Forest 5

Rating 7/10. Man of the match Faurlin.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Gosforth) Att 17,227.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/forest-hold-out-for-point-after-stupid-sending-off-2213909.html


EXPRESS/Mick Dennis - QPR 1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1: POINT TAKEN AS DAVIES REVEALS HIS FOREST FEAR

MAKE SURE you are sitting down when you read this – and you might like to have a glass of water at hand. Ready? Neil Warnock praised the referee.

His QPR team had a decent penalty appeal turned down and Warnock stomped on to the pitch at the end of a match that was an outstanding advertisement for the Championship.

Warnock made a beeline for referee Mark Clattenburg. But when he got to him, he merely shook hands with the relieved official.

“I wish we had refs like that every week,” said Warnock.

Mind you, Clattenburg had sent off Nottingham Forest’s Radoslaw Majewski after 22 minutes.

And of course, by lauding Clattenburg, who normally officiates in the Premier League, Warnock was perhaps cleverly criticising referees in the Championship.

So do not expect the admiration of leading officials to survive if QPR go up into the top flight.

That looks inevitable now. They are six points clear of second-placed Cardiff and third-placed Norwich.

Although they are on course to have a smaller total than the Football League champions of seven of the last 10 seasons, by far the most likely conclusion to this campaign is that they will return to the top flight after an absence of 15 years.

It was the fans of fourth-placed Forest who celebrated at the finish however. They joyously and loudly voiced their satisfaction at taking a point and at remaining unbeaten in 10 games, despite that sending off.

Manager Billy Davies was chuffed as well but, picking his words diplomatically, warned that Forest probably do not have the resources to infiltrate the automatic play-off places this season.

Chairman Nigel Doughty and “football adviser” David Pleat conduct Forest’s transfers and Davies said: “I am not moaning and I haven’t fallen out with anyone, but the time to make sure we had enough players for the business end of the season was during the January transfer window.

“I have been warning about fatigue, injuries and the difficulties we will face as we play two games a week. Now, with Majewski suspended for three games, we are down to 17 fit professionals.”

Forest were a goal down when the dismissal occurred. Tommy Smith’s alertness had given QPR the lead after only 16 minutes. He intercepted a pass that was probably not intended for him, cut in from the right flank and delivered a curling, left-footed shot from outside the area which tucked inside the far post.

The sending off came when the disappointing Adel Taarabt lured Majewski into a two-footed lunge. “It was a stupid challenge,” said Davies. “He said sorry to me, but he will be fined by the club.”

But four minutes later, Forest were level, with a double-deflection and a huge dollop of luck.

Lewis McGugan’s free-kick from 30 yards out was scuffed but then ricocheted into the net off David McGoldrick’s shin.

Warnock did not think much of the foul by Matthew Connolly on Marcus Tudgay that cost the free-kick.

Reverting back to the curmudgeon we all know and some of us do not love, Warnock said: “We had two centre-halves on one man and could have let the ball run through to our goalkeeper, so to give away a free-kick was a Sunday league job.”

When Warnock guided Sheffield United into the Premier League, he was serving a touchline ban for their top-flight debut. He had been reported for shouting: “I hope he breaks his f***ing leg” about an opponent.

So I do not like him. And because I have written and broadcast about his intemperate behaviour, he does not like me. After one piece I wrote for the Daily Express, he said that he would consult lawyers.

That was nearly two years ago and we have not heard from them yet, so I do hope they are charging him by the hour. To give the man his due, he did not moan when on-loan Wayne Routledge was denied a penalty for a minimal, but certain foul, by Chris Gunter.

But just wait until next season to see whether Warnock, 62, remains happy with Premier League referees, because he does now seem destined for his seventh promotion. Curses.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/228902/QPR-1-Nottingham-Forest-1-Point-taken-as-Davies-reveals-his-Forest-fear-QPR-1-Nottingham-Forest-1-Point-taken-as-Davies-reveals-his-Forest-fear-#ixzz1Dul4srNW


STAR QPR 1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1: NEIL WARNOCK UPSET BY DRAWBy Mike McGrathYour Shout ( 0 )

QPR 1 -- NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1

Neil Warnock tore into his players yesterday after QPR let a lead slip against 10-man Nottingham Forest.

Warnock was eyeing an eight-point cushion at the top of the Championship and they looked in total control at Loftus Road.

Tommy Smith had put them in front with a curling effort from the edge of the area after the visitors backed off.

Then the Hoops were cruising when Radoslaw Majewski was sent off on 23 minutes for a crazy two-footed tackle on Adel Taarabt.

But Forest still equalised three minutes later when David McGoldrick deflected home Lewis McGugan’s 40-yard free-kick.

Warnock pointed the finger at Matt Connolly for needlessly conceding a free-kick – then he hooked the centre-back in the second half.

“I don’t know how the centre-backs let that develop for the goal,” said Warnock. “It was schoolboy, a Sunday League job to give a free-kick there when they have one striker.

“What’s he going to do there? It was a bad free-kick and giving the foul away was pathetic.”

Worse was to come for Warnock as Smith’s hamstring injury flared up and he came off at half-time.

Warnock reckons Smith would have unlocked Forest again, just like he did in the 16th minute.

He collected Alejandro Faurlin’s pass and headed for the penalty area before stroking the ball home.

“Tommy was the key and when he went off we didn’t have that nous.”

Even Forest boss Billy Davies couldn’t complain about Majewski’s dismissal shortly after Smith’s opener.

Davies confirmed he will dish out a club fine for the Polish midfielder after leaving his team a man short with over an hour to play.

“It was a stupid, naive red card,” said the Scot. “He will be fined heavily, like the rest of us when we do something that lets the team down.

“But we tend to criticise players early on and forget their age, they still don’t know how to handle certain situations.”

Davies’ men are still right in the hunt for a play-off place but he feels they are short of players for their run-in.

They could have been defeated if Mark Clattenburg had awarded a penalty when Chris Gunter clipped Wayne Routledge.

“There was contact but you won’t see me complaining because the referee was fantastic,” Warnock said. “We wish we had a ref like him every week.”

Warnock also felt the red card was spot on, adding: “Taarabt gets you like that, I’d like to do that to him at times.”
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/176733/QPR-1-Nottingham-Forest-1-Neil-Warnock-upset-by-draw/


MIRROR
Neil Warnock shocked football by praising a referee after being denied a penalty.

FIFA official Mark Clattenburg ruled against giving QPR a 73rd-minute spot kick when Wayne Routledge went down in the box under a challenge from Chris Gunter.

But the Premier League ref, given the high-profile game between the two promotion candidates, turned down the strong appeal from the Championship leaders.

A goal then would have finally ended the plucky resistance of ten-man Forest.

Yet Warnock, usually so quick to criticise the men in black, preferred to blame his defenders for the result rather than Clattenburg in a clear dig at Championship referees.

"There was contact on Routledge but I thought the referee was fantastic today," he said. "I wish we had referees like that every week. You wouldn't see me complaining much.

"I thought Clattenburg was superb today. I wish we had him every week."

Warnock was less forgiving over the free kick which led to Forest's 26th-minute equaliser when Matthew Connolly fouled Marcus Tudgay.

QPR were already a goal up from Tommy Smith's 16th- minute opener - and Forest had been reduced to 10 men following Radoslaw Majewski's straight red card.

But three minutes later Billy Davies' side were back on level terms when Lewis McGugan 30-yard free kick was deflected home off the shins of David McGoldrick.

It was the first league goal the Championship leaders had allowed in six hours of league football. But Warnock was still not happy.

"To concede a goal like we did was Sunday League stuff," he complained. "It was just a bad free kick from our point of view. To give a foul away like that was absolutely pathetic. A free kick given away like that - what was he going to do Tudgay.If we had been tight for that period, they would have had to come out rather than parking the bus. I still think it was a decent point - I am just disappointed."

He added: "Our day was summed up with their equaliser. How unlucky can you get? Yo need a bit of luck as well and you are not going to get any more luck than that with a riochet like that going into the goal."

Rangers had started brightly and Smith scored his fifth goal in 13 matches by stroking home from outside the box.

Warnock later admitted his departure after 44 minutes with a recurrence of his hamstring injury had been crucial as his side pressed after the break.

Despite being one-man down, Forest showed all the fight of their Glaswegian manager and deserved to come away with a point. QPR's best chance came when Chris Gunter headed clear a Bradley Orr header off the line. Centre-backs Wes Morgan and Luke Chamers were equally outstanding.

These two clubs were the only two in the top six not to win this weekend. Rangers' lead was cut to six points while Forest drop from second to fourth despite extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches.

But Warnock, whose side are now seven matches without a defeat, claimed: "I thought it was more important for Forest to win than us. They are at Cardiff on Saturday, Leeds are at Norwich. Everybody's got difficult games - you can't win them all."

Davies said: "We have got a great spirit and togetherness and will keep working the best that we can. If the season finished tomorrow, they would be heroes for what they have done." Mirror


QPR OFFICIAL SITE
QPR shared the spoils with Nottingham Forest in their live Sky Sports TV showdown at Loftus Road.

On a wet and windy afternoon in the capital, Forest will probably come away from this one the happier of the two sides - even though the 1-1 scoreline was more than just.

The Reds were forced to play over an hour with 10 men following Radoslaw Majewski's straight red card for a two-footed lunge on Adel Taarabt in the 23rd minute.

Rangers took the lead on 16 minutes, following Tommy Smith's splendid strike from 20 yards with his weaker left foot.

But Forest battled back and were level just ten minutes later, after David McGoldrick deflected Lewis McGugan's long-range free-kick into the net.

The result leaves QPR six points clear at the top of the npower Championship.

The R's made one change for the visit of Forest, as Smith returned from a hamstring injury to replace the suspended Hogan Ephraim.

Paddy Kenny was in goal for the R's, protected by a back four of Bradley Orr, Matt Connolly, Kaspars Gorkss and Clint Hill.

Shaun Derry and Alejandro Faurlin were in defensive midfield, behind attacking trio Wayne Routledge, Taarabt and Smith.

Rob Hulse led the Rangers line.

Undoubtedly the clash of the weekend in the Championship, it really did promise to be a super Sunday of football in W12.

Visitors to Loftus Road Forest were in a fine fettle of form heading into this one, having won their last six league fixtures - incredibly all by just a single-goal margin.

Watford felt the wraith of the Reds' hot streak of form last time out, with Marcus Tudgay's first-minute strike enough for Forest to see off the Golden Boys at the City Ground.

But the R's too were enjoying their own positive run of results, having won three and drawn three of their last six Championship matches.

Their latest, of course, a splendid 1-0 victory at Reading thanks to Routledge's 81st minute strike last Friday night, after having to play the entire second half with just 10 men.

R's gaffer Neil Warnock said prior to kick-off that he couldn't see this one "being a defensive game."

If the start to this match was anything to go by, he was certainly being proved right.

Both sides were throwing bodies forward at every possible opportunity - even through there was little to talk about in terms of clear-cut chances in the opening 10 minutes.

QPR went close with their first attempt on 11 minutes.

Quick thinking by Orr from a throw-in saw the defender find Taarabt unmarked down the right, before the magical Moroccan's centre was deflected out to the edge of the area.

Lying in wait was Faurlin, whose low drive - that appeared to be heading for the target - unfortunately clipped the leg of Smith before going out for a goal-kick.

Moments later, Smith was unlucky not to do better with a header from 12 yards, with his glancing effort from a Taarabt free-kick falling comfortably into the arms of Lee Camp.

But Smith wasn't to be denied for a second time, as he produced a stunning solo effort to put the R's into the lead.

Faurlin's clever reverse pass found Smith on the right, before the R's attacker looked to cut-in from the touchline.

The rest was pure class from Smith, who breezed past two challenges before guiding a curling effort from 20 yards into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Loftus Road was rocking - and the drama continued when Forest were deservedly reduced to 10 men on 23 minutes.

Indeed, Forest could have no complaints with Mr Clattenurg's decision to send Majewski from the field of play, whose two-footed challenge caught the standing leg of Taarabt.

But Forest didn't despond. In fact, they were level just three minutes later - albeit with a slice of luck.

McGugan's low blast from a free-kick on 30 yards appeared to be heading for a crowd of bodies in the R's box, before McGoldrick stuck out a leg.

It proved to be a crucial knock from the Reds front-man, with the unsighted Kenny left with no chance as the ball nestled into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

Forest were arguably now on top - and they almost added a second.

Chris Cohen's inch-perfect cross from a corner found the unmarked Wes Morgan, whose downward header was superbly tipped around the post by Kenny.

But the R's almost regained the lead just short of the break.

Taarabt picked up possession on 25 yards, before his effort with the outside of his right foot whistled inches wide of the left-hand post.

QPR dominated territorial possession at the start of the second period, going close on 54 minutes.

Faurlin did magnificently well to control Hill's throw-in from the left, before the Argentine playmaker unleashed a rasping drive from 25-yards out that went just wide of the right-hand post.

Rangers kept pressing and Faurlin again went close on 65 minutes, blasting Taarabt's pass from a corner on the left over the target from the edge of the box.

Forest continued hold firm - mostly to do with the fact that they switched to a 5-3-1 formation at half-time.

But the R's almost snatched a second with 15 minutes left to play.

Taarabt's corner from the left was met by Orr, whose bullet header was cleared off the line and away to safety.
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~52977,00.html


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