Rovers 2 QPR 1
DONCASTER ROVERS 2 Queens Park Rangers 1
Saturday, 30th November 2013 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Skybet League Championship
Referee – Mr Oliver Langford
Attendance – 8,854 (1623 visitors)
A fine, even sunny afternoon, albeit a cold one welcomed one of the top sides in the Championship to the Keepmoat.
Rovers made three changes from the side that started at Charlton. Dean Furman came in for Marc De Val, Theo Robinson for Billy Paynter and loan signing, Enda Stevens for the injured Reece Wabara.
Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.
Rovers kicked off but the first ten minutes were spent sounding each other out.
Then a corner apiece, first to the visitors and then to the Rovers, neither of which troubled the keepers but at least showed attacking intentions.
In the 17th minute, Macheda gave to Duffy and a good run ended with a rather tame shot from 25yards that Green saved comfortably.
Five minutes later and Phillips followed suit from the same distance but put wide.
Minutes later and a cross from Phillips on the visiting right was tipped away by Turnbull from under the bar.
Kranjcar then fired well wide of the far post from inside the penalty area to the right.
Past the half hour and a free kick from Duffy on the right touchline halfway in the Rangers half was headed out for a corner to the Rovers.
A free kick to the Rangers in the 36th minute was put out for a corner by Quinn. This was placed to the far post where McCullough headed away but it was collected by O’Neil on the edge of the penalty area and hit high and wide of the far post.
Another corner to the visitors was headed away by Khumalo.
Good work on the Rovers right by Furman and Macheda gave Duffy a shot but it was blocked.
Then, calamity for the Rovers in the 43rd minute. A Rangers attack finished with the ball reaching AUSTIN about 12 yards out. He stabbed it goalwards for Turnbull to pick up but it slipped through his hands and rolled slowly over the line into the net.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers 0 Queens Park Rangers 1
The visitors got the second half underway and went on to the attack, with Phillips getting in a shot that took a deflection but Turnbull saved.
Rovers then won a corner in the 47th minute. The ball came back out to Duffy on the left. He put a crossfield pass to ROBINSON on the right, who hit a low left foot curler from outside the angle of the penalty area that went just inside the far post past the despairing dive of Green for an equalising goal.
Rovers continued to have their fair share of the play and just past the hour Robinson got in a strike from 25yards on the left but put wide.
It was now becoming end-to-end play. A corner to the Rangers came to nothing.
Then a good strike from Coppinger in a central position was blocked and ran to Macheda to the left of goal but he put into the sidenet with his shot.
Another corner to the Rangers came to nothing but a free kick to the Rovers from the right was headed out for a corner to the Rovers but nothing came from that.
Furman then took a pass from Duffy on the left and fired wide of the far post.
In the 86th minute a free kick by Wellens was headed just over by Khumalo.
Two minutes later and Hoilett’s effort from the edge of the penalty area was deflected for a corner, which then led to Hill lifting the ball just over the bar from 15yards.
At the other end Rovers won a corner on their left, which Duffy placed to the far post for QUINN to head in from close range and give them the lead in the 89th minute.
Into four minutes of added time and the Rovers piled on to the attack thus keeping the Rangers in their own half.
Good play on the right by Coppinger and Wellens led to the latter hitting a blistering shot from an angle that Green did well to get a hand to and put out for a corner.
A terrific second half from Rovers put the Rangers in their place and brought three points for them.
Teams – ROVERS – Ross Turnbull; Paul Quinn, Bongani Khumalo, Luke McCullough, Enda Stevens; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens ©, Dean Furman, Mark Duffy; Federico Macheda, Theo Robinson
Subs not used – Billy Paynter, David Cotterill, Liam Wakefield, Martin Woods, Marc de Val, Alex Peterson, Jon Maxted gk
Caution – Wellens 51 mins; Turnbull 90+4 mins;
QPR – Robert Green; Danny Simpson, Richard Dunne, Clint Hill ©, Benoit Assou-Ekotto; Matty Phillips, Gary O’Neil, Joey Barton, Jermaine Jenas; Nico Kranjcar, Charlie Austin
Subs used – Andrew Johnson for O’Neil 63 mins; Junior Hoilett for Kranjcar
Subs not used – Armand Traore, Tom Carroll, Oguchi Onyewu, Karl Henry, Brian Murphy
Caution – Dunne 82 mins; Jenas 90+4 mins;