Both teams today were looking to bounce back, in QPR’s case after a 7-1 humiliation. It was the occasion for Jones and Kone to renew their acquaintance, with the former having completely shut out the latter in the four games against Wycombe last season, perhaps the chance for Kelman to open his account for us against his former club. In any event, it looked likely to be a close affair, which it proved to be.
We were unchanged again, Leaburn keeping his place ahead of Kelman, but with a couple of changes on the bench. With Anderson suspended Mwamba was given a place, while the apparently now fit Burke replaced Mitchell.
Whether or not stung by last weekend, QPR came out of the traps fast and left us floundering in the first 20 minutes or so, appearing vulnerable to their movement and unable to hold the ball in any meaningful area or put them under pressure. Jones started the game with a crunching tackle on Kone, but on seven minutes we were behind, to a goal well worked from their end and soft from ours. We had only just been opened up after the ref – not for the last time in an inconsistent performance – failed to award us a free-kick for a clear foul. A one-two and their guy was in, only to make a hash of his shot from close range. Then there seemed special danger as one of their guys advanced down their right, but his low ball across the box was very well dummied by Kone and Smyth had read the situation and moved ahead of Apter to get onto it, slotting it past Kaminski. Apter was proving to be our main attacking threat, but QPR had done their homework and were to exploit his defensive shortcomings through the first half.
In that spell we could well have fallen further behind and effectively game-over. After a Ramsay mistake their guy advanced and Coventry touched him from behind and he went over, a free-kick central inside the D and a yellow for Coventry. Kaminski saved well to his left and the rebound was headed over. But we did at least keep it to one and as the game progressed we came much more into it. The rest of the first half was a pretty even affair, in terms of possession we were now edging it. And we did come close to equalising on 26 minutes as an Edwards ball in reached the far post and Leaburn met it. It was a tough one to keep down but he almost managed it, the shot coming back off the crossbar.
Campbell started to see more of the ball. He cut inside and had a shot blocked, then having beaten his marker and was advancing into the box had his shorts pulled in a cynical foul. But from the free-kick just outside the box on the left Carney overhit the ball in – and through the afternoon our deliveries into the box, from set pieces and in open play, from different players – were not good enough. Carney was pulled down (no yellow this time) and this time Apter played a poor ball in, then Carey’s cross from a free-kick for a foul on Leaburn had too much on it. But just before the break we were close to conceding a second as from a free-kick of their own the ball was delivered to where Apter had to challenge someone much bigger than him. The header back across was met by another, which came back off the foot of the post (although Kaminski might have got to it if it had been going in).
At the break we were at least a little cheered that we had picked up after that poor start and still looked capable of getting something from the game, although I thought there was a case for switching to a back-four, having Campbell and Apter the wide men in a four-man midfield, and bringing Kelman on to give us two up front. It would have meant sacrificing Carey I guess.
In any event, although QPR had a chance early in the second half, as an Edwards clearance cannoned off someone and dropped to one of theirs, the game changed as we equalised on 53 minutes. Campbell sent in a cross from the left which went across the box to Apter. He took it on the volley and sent his effort into the ground. He couldn’t have planned it better as it bounced up and over the defender and left their keeper stranded, going into the far corner. It was a fluke but gave us the momentum.
QPR responded by bringing on, among others, Saito, just back at the club apparently. From the start he looked a menace, drawing free-kicks and wrongfooting defenders. But overall the game was swinging very much in our favour, we were enjoying most of the possession and when put under pressure QPR’s back line looked vulnerable. Shortly after we equalised Kone was very lucky to escape without even a yellow a late challenge on Jones, who headed clear only to be taken out. It was at least a yellow and, if Kone had led with his elbow, a case for a red.
We had a decent chance to take the lead on 56 minutes as Campbell got goalside in the box. There was a challenge and contact but he stumbled, didn’t go down. If he had perhaps it was a penalty and a red card, perhaps not, it wasn’t cast-iron. He ended up taking the shot from a narrow angle, which was pushed behind for a corner, when he might have squared it for an incoming Leaburn.
We made our first changes on 68 minutes, with Kelman and Knibbs replacing Apter and Carey, prompting Campbell to move to the right side. On 79 minutes we were almost in again as a ball forward found Kelman and he was taken out just outside the box, only for Edwards to badly overhit the ball in from the free-kick.
We were dominant, but QPR still carried a threat in a contest which might have gone either way. And it proved to be their day. Campbell failed to protect the ball around the centre-circle and Saito emerged with it, just inside his own half. He advanced unchallenged, wrongfooted Jones around the edge of the box, and just as others were converging on him managed to tuck it beyond Kaminski into the net. Another poor goal from our perspective, but they will laud a solo run from the half-way line and a calm finish.
As the minutes ticked away we understandably became increasingly desperate. Olaofe replaced Docherty on 87 minutes and then in six extra minutes Rankin-Costello and Fullah came on for Coventry and Leaburn, with Jones now staying up front. There was nothing to lose, but the risk was obvious. A ball forward was flicked on and Kone was through on his own to plant the ball past Kaminski, to give a very unfair scoreline.
What do we take from the game? No points obviously. We know, if we didn’t before, that playing Apter as a wing-back carries a defensive risk. We should know that we can’t begin a game like we did today, tentative and uncertain. We could easily have been two down before we pulled ourselves up. On the positive side, having equalised we were the more likely to get the win, only to fall foul of one player producing a moment (the third goal was irrelevant). There’s no need for pressing the panic button, it’s small margins and lessons on detail. Each of our four games this season has been decided by the odd goal or finished even, and the chances are that will be the case more often than not. We’re not going to blow teams away but can outbattle some. We know what’s next up, time to rip up the history book and start setting the records straight (and there is a long way to go on that front).
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