Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

Another failed opportunity for QPR and one which makes Monday's game against Leicester look more unpleasant that it should be.

There was nothing too radical about the QPR line-up apart from the pleasing news that Jay Simpson was back in the starting eleven. Simpson had only started two of QPR's last four games because of a niggling hamstring problem, though Neil Warnock has probably been more sensibly cautious with the player than he would have been had QPR been pushing for promotion for example.

Very little of note happened in the first ten minutes, apart from Kaspars Gorkss managing to skew at least two clearances completely unchallenged by an opponent. He almost seems to perform better under pressure, going neck a neck with a striker. If left with time and space to think about what he is going to do next, the result will often be a wild clearance into the stands.

Simpson showed his value to the team early on though, nipping onto a half ball in the area and laying it back to Alejandro Faurlin who placed his shot directly at the keeper. You had to wonder what it would take for Faurlin to get his first goal in QPR colours? 

The star man of the moment for QPR, Adel Taarabt, started quietly but grew into the half and came close to creating the opener, his fiercely accurate corner finding Tamas Priskin who could only head wide.

Faurlin soon answered the question over his lack of goals though and it all started from another wild Gorkss clearance. He punted the ball forward with seemingly little concern about its direction but it found Priskin in acres of space on the right wing. Unfortunately, the forward didn't control the ball quickly enough, allowing Wednesday to get men back but he still carried his run into the area and forced Lee Grant to tip the ball wide.

From the resulting corner, Faurlin showed his coolness above all others to flick the ball back into the area. Centre-back Damion Stewart similarly headed it up into the air and when the ball fell down, it found the grateful Faurlin to slam it into the net from point-blank range. A very deserving scorer which was acknowledged by the QPR crowd.

Marcus Tudgay was looking very isolated in attack for Wednesday and barring a mid-game nap which often afflicts QPR, it was hard to see how they could not turn their lead into the three points which would all but guarantee Championship football next season.

Priskin continued to benefit from some wayward balls from the back which said a lot about Wednesday's commitment to marking the player. Within minutes of the second-half kicking off, left-back Matt Hill ballooned the ball into the area where it dropped to Priskin. He let the ball bounce before hitting it high on the turn and it clipped off the bar, possibly with a touch from the keeper on the way. Priskin was certainly getting in the right positions if still too tentative to take advantage of them.

Taarabt's best moment of the game could have doubled the advantage on 58 minutes. With a trademark cut-back, he worked himself some space and then drove his shot from fully 25 yards just above the top corner. "Sign him up, sign him up," echoed down from the stands, in reference to Taarabt's loan status and the need to break upon the piggy bank should the manager desire to make his move permanent.

Somehow the Rs weren't able to put the game out of reach though, despite a complete lack of attacking intent at the other end from Wednesday and as it dragged on, nerves crept into their play and onto the stands.

It's been a tell-tale problem for at least the last six games and again, the away team were allowed the luxury of getting back into the game. Tommy Spurr curled a deadly cross to the far post and Tom Soares was in the perfect position to plant his header into the net.

As usual, it woke QPR up. Mikele Leigertwood went close, a trademark long-range shot just avoiding the goal. Lee Cook was soon on for Hogan Ephraim as well, to join Antonio German who came on for Simpson before the Wednesday goal but neither substitute nor Rowan Vine who came on with minutes remaining could alter the outcome of the game. If anything Leon Clarke should have won it for the Owls though, a curled free-kick catching the Hoops out and just evading the final touch which would have taken it into the net.

Another incredibly frustrating game for the home supporters then and though its still unlikely that QPR will be drawn into the bottom three, the abundant nerves around Loftus Road won't be disappearing anytime soon if the team continue to throw away leading positions.