Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

Complacency can be a killer for a football team and has often infected QPR this season. Against decent, functional yet largely uninspired opponents, they once again threw away frequent opportunities to gain a desired win and instead fell to a rare Cardiff attack with just ten minutes remaining, thereby ending a short unbeaten run for Neil Warnock at Loftus Road. 

QPR's starting line-up had a slightly makeshift look to it come kick-off, with numerous players now out for the rest of the season. Damion Stewart's horror injury last Saturday and Matt Connolly's ankle injury, which could also keep him out for the rest of the campaign, meant Peter Ramage deputised at centre-back, Mikele Leigertwood took his place at right-back and Dusko Tosic made his home debut on the left-side.

The defensive changes considered, Rangers were as to be expected in their attacking positions, with Jay Simpson, Adel Taarabt and Tamas Priskin all offering a goal threat. Cardiff could call on the returning Joe Ledley in midfield with Jay Bothroyd and Ross McCormack forming a two-man frontline with Michael Chopra available to come off the bench.

The game had a slight summer holiday feel to it in the opening exchanges, with both teams playing within themselves for the first fifteen minutes, which was forgivable from QPR but surprising of Cardiff who needed the three points to secure their play-off spot. In the glorious sunshine, it was asking a lot of the crowd not to take forty winks with both sets of players playing as if they had one mind on their holiday destinations.

Adel Taarabt is often called on to fire up the excitement of both the team and the crowd and it proved the case again today. Just after the quarter-of-an-hour mark, he picked the ball up in the centre of the field and afforded a ridiculous amount of space, he was able to continue his run towards goal before unleashing a stinging shot from roughly 30 yards. It pinged back off the post and across goal and awoke the dozing crowd.

It wasn't quite the catalyst it should have been though and Rangers all too often wasted possession in the final third, with both Alejandro Faurlin and Leigertwood guilty of failing to deliver passes into the area when given time and space. A brief moment of excitement was the Cardiff supporters having to take down a large Wales flag, which they did so begrudgingly to say the least. It said everything about the football on show that the rival taunting in the corner of the pitch was more diverting.

Taarabt worked a cross into the area as half-time approached, but Jay Simpson swung wildly and missed the ball, which summed up a toothless first half from both sides.

Taarabt remained the main provider after the break, clipping the ball across the area to Hogan Ephraim, but as a player not noted for his heading ability, he gently butted the ball into David Marshall's hands. Apart from that, the quality of final ball from Rangers was woeful.

McCormack and Bothroyd were also finding it hard to link up when Cardiff were able to string a pass together. On a rare occasion, McCormick whipped the ball into the area but Bothroyd, under pressure and with the ball behind him, could only deflect a shot over. The Scot soon made way for Michael Chopra.

Ephraim's headed opportunity was less than easy but he wasted a much more presentable chance just after the hour, after Simpson laid it off to him in the area and he side-footed a shot acres over the goal. It was far from the 22-year-old's best game in a QPR shirt and I was surprised to not see him replaced at an earlier stage in the second half.

The chances of a goal were diminishing by the minute and it looked like a moment of magic or an intervention from the referee would be necessary to break the deadlock. Referee Michael Oliver had his chance with quarter of an hour to go when Taarabt broke into the area but then fell under the challenge of Mark Kennedy. It looked like there was potential contact, a small flick from Kennedy and the referee took an age to make his mind up before awarding Cardiff a free-kick and booking the Moroccan for diving. Taarabt definitely has form when it comes to the darker arts so I'll gladly be corrected based on replays, but it looked like he had some grounds to appeal.

Kennedy soon had a truly game-changing involvement though. His curled cross to the far post found the returning Ledley unmarked and he needed the merest of touches to head over the line. Cue delirium from the Cardiff fans who could start dreaming about Wembley.

Warnock has a tendency to make reactive rather than preemptive substitutions and he quickly brought Simpson off for Lee Cook (which seemed to upset Taarabt who waved his arm angrily at the bench) and also, Ephraim for Josh Parker. Taarabt clearly had no problems with Cook himself though; within minutes he worked the ball to him just yards from goal and his turn forced a smart save out of Marshall.

The manager made a final gamble, replacing the largely ineffectual Priskin with Antonio German but it was all for nothing and far too late, with Rangers unable to work another goal-scoring chance in injury time. The Bluebirds fans said they were going to Wembley; all the QPR crowd can now look forward to is a chance to truly confirm their place in this league when they play Watford on Tuesday.