Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

QPR scraped past fellow play-off rivals Bristol City in their Boxing Day clash to earn their first win in seven games but a significant proportion of the Loftus Road crowd still booed the team off the pitch at full-time. What did we learn about the team, their performance and the fans from this game then? 

1 - You need an in-form striker to win. If you have just lost a manager, not won a game in seven matches and confidence is low, you need to take whatever chances you can get. Luckily for QPR, in a match in which they mustered only two shots on goal, they found the net with both and could once again call on the unerring instincts of Simpson to open the scoring. At only 21 Simpson is still in need of as much experience and match-time as he can get, but a record of a goal every other game speaks volumes for how he has adapted to the Championship. QPR have been crying out for a '20 goal a season' striker - in Simpson, they might have found one and without having to fork out huge sums as well. 

2 - Goals from midfield are always welcome. Mikele Leigertwood has never been known for his goalscoring and it would be foolish to get carried away just because he has found the net four times this season. What he has shown though is an ability to find the target from outside the area which can make the difference in very tight games. As with Simpson, when playing a well-organised team like Bristol City, a moment of luck or magic can make the difference and Leigertwood's strike yesterday was closer to the latter, almost passing a shot into the corner of the net from well outside the area.

3 - Winning ugly can work. Whereas QPR took the only chances they had, Bristol City had more than a few opportunites to get back into the game. After a wonder-strike from Nicky Maynard, more on that below, QPR were left hanging on for the win. Paul Hart decided to shore up his defence by bringing on both Matt Connolly and Gary Borrowdale late on which recieved a less than welcome reaction from some of the crowd. They may be living in a bubble in which QPR should hammer teams at home every weekend playing scintillating football but in reality, Rangers have been struggling to stay in contention with the Championship's pace-setters in recent weeks. Paul Hart was right in saying that the win was everything and should he have chased more goals only to over-expose his defence, the reaction would have been far more unforgiving. When your team has been routed 5-1 at home to Middlesbrough, a win over a decent Bristol City side should be welcomed rather than criticised.

4 - Nicky Maynard scores unbelievable goals. Though my prediction for this game was off the mark, I did say that Maynard finding the net was more than likely. How he did it though could not have been predicted. Controlling the ball in mid-air, he then flicked it up to himself, before driving the ball into the top corner with a sideways volley. It was a moment of complete improvisation and though I've argued that Simpson is doing the business for QPR at the moment, the club's league position could be even rosier if they had a striker with that type of ability.

QPR now face Ipswich Town tomorrow who suffered a mauling at Crystal Palace. They will need little motivation to undo such a poor result whilst Paul Hart has an opportunity to see if his side can win pretty.You get the feeling though that he would take three points however he can get them and after the chaos of recent weeks, that alone should be enough for now. More on that game to follow....

QPR - Cerny, Ramage, Hall, Leigertwood, Routledge, Buzsaky (Connolly 83), Gorkss, Watson, Faurlin (Agyemang 63), Williams, Simpson (Borrowdale 83).

Subs not used - Taylor, Pellicori, Balanta, Taarabt.

Goals - Simpson (32), Leigertwood (40).

Bristol City - Gerken, Orr, McAllister, Fontaine, Carey, Maynard, Hartley, Skuse, Williams (Sno 70), Haynes (Sproule 83), Saborio (Clarkson 71).

Subs not used - Henderson, Elliott, Edwards, Nyatanga.

Goals - Maynard (57)

Bookings - Haynes, Maynard, Sno.

Referee - Mr D Phillips

Attendane - 13,534.