QPR went down to a hard working Derby side tonight, as a John Eustace header was enough to secure the three points for Steve McClaren`s side. Derby ended a run of seven league games at Pride Park without a win against QPR and significantly it was their first victory against a top six side this season.
The first half was a scrappy affair, which saw Derby enjoy the majority of the ball. The youthful exuberance of Will Hughes drove Derby forward in the early stages but it was Chelsea loanee Pat Bamford who had the first clear-cut chance of the match. Bamford who had netted in each of his last four league games, looked favourite to score as he surged in on goal following a lofted pass. However, Aaron Hughes managed to get across well to block the shot and remove the danger.
In truth, it wasn`t a game littered with glaring chances but it was a feisty contest with Joey Barton, who was unsurprisingly at the centre of most incidents. Clint Hill notably struggled against Chris Martin, who has clearly learnt the dark arts off Grant Holt during his time at Norwich. Martin`s physical presence was key to Derby`s performance and most crucially their goal.
Martin`s robust approach play allowed Derby to win a corner from which Rob Green failed to clear with a half-hearted punch that fell to John Eustace, who in turn attempted a speculative looping header towards the far corner of the net, Chris Martin then jumped for the ball but got nowhere near it but decisively managed to bundle Gary O`Neill (who was on the line) out of the way and and into the net. Many were calling for a foul but to be honest it was just as much weak defending as it was rugged centre forward play. On another day, maybe a different referee would’ve given the foul.
Rangers for the most part defended very deep, which allowed the Rams to control the game and pick their passes at will. The R`s offered little in attack and the lack of tempo and urgency was alarming. The closest QPR came to scoring was through an Aaron Hughes header that Derby keeper Lee Grant did very well to turn round the post. Injuries have clearly hurt Redknapp’s team and the anonymous Gary O`Neill offered little on the right hand side. It was a night made for the counter-attack and had Matt Phillips been fit, he might’ve had some joy. Also in midfield, Tottenham loanee Tom Carroll struggled against his England under-21 teammate Will Hughes, who looks a cut above at this level.
The second half saw Harry Redknapp make a double change with Junior Hoilett and Modibo Maiga replacing Andy Johnson and Gary O`Neill. Initially, the changes worked with Hoilett offering a threat out wide but a distinct lack of end product from Hoilett and in particular Niko Kranjcar was evident. Overall, Rangers kept the ball better and had spells of concerted pressure, however nothing amounted from it. For all of QPR`s possession pinning Derby in their own half, the Rams still looked the more likely team to score.
As mentioned earlier, Joey Barton was at the centre of lots of little incidents. Cynical challenges from Barton and the Derby players were present throughout the match and it affected the fluency of the game. They had clearly targeted Barton and fouled him at every opportunity. There were several occasions of a Derby player falling over at the slightest touch from Barton and it was obvious they were attempting to get him booked (and vice versa). Possibly, Barton was frustrated and kicked out at times because he was left to cover vast areas of the midfield vacated by Tom Carroll, who struggled and lost his man frequently.
Simply, the R`s didn`t test the Derby goalkeeper enough. Barton fashioned a decent opportunity for himself and struck a fierce shot with his left foot but Grant was equal to it and plucked the ball out of the air. Junior Hoilett lashed into the side netting late on but the lack of shots on target (3) for a team who trailed for most of the match is some cause for concern. Tonight`s result isn`t the end of the world but it was a great chance to open up a lead over the chasing pack. There are plenty more fixtures and points available so QPR need to recover quickly and focus on the next fixture against Reading.