Crewe?s Railwaymen plunged QPR deeper into an end-of-season crisis as troubles both on and off the pitch hang over the club by Steve Sayce.
Having promised changes after the midweek debacle against the Potters, Gary Waddock made only one change to the starting line-up, with Paul Furlong coming in to replace the injured Sammy Youssef to partner Marc Nygaard up front.
Richard Langley remained on the bench whilst Shabazz Baidoo once again remained absent, prompting more fervoured rumours over his contract situation. Scott Donnelly was also injured. Stefan Moore and Stefan Bailey provided cover on the bench.
The first omen of bad fortune came as Rangers lost the toss and Crewe chose to attack the School End in the first half. The pitiful travelling Alex support was certainly not a factor in the Crewe captain?s decision.
It was clear from the outset that this was going to be a typical encounter with a Dario Gradi side. Crewe never provide your usual ?blood and thunder? Championship fare ? it was not so today, rather we saw thoughtful and measured play with a fair amount of quality and skill from a team with nothing else to do but to go for it and pray for survival.
Perhaps the shape of things to come was indicated in the first five minutes when Steve Lomas played a ball into Furlong who slipped over, squandering a favourable position in the 18 yard box. The ball came back to Furs almost immediately afterwards in the same position, but this time Crewe?s Steven Foster had got much tighter and drew the foul as Furs blasted wide right of the goal.
Crewe started brightly though, with 29 year-old Steve Jones creating havoc on the left wing. Throughout the first half Jones made marauding runs down the line placing particular pressure on Marcus Bignot.
In a half where chances were hard to come by, Crewe made their presence felt with a couple of spells of good pressure. Crewe had a five minute spell including a couple of consecutive corners leading up to a shot over the bar in the 17th minute, again by the impressive Jones.
Meanwhile Rangers made heavy weather of superior first half possession with a series of feeble missed chances and offsides. Their shape was fast becoming ragged, and encouraged by this Gradi?s men began to find more space.
On 22 minutes a free kick in midfield was hoisted in and after a scramble in the box the ball came out to Lomas who struck it unconvincingly high and wide right.
However, Crewe?s marksmanship was much more threatening ? Kenny Lunt?s drive on 23 minutes was parried right by Rangers stopper Paul Jones.
A little more promise was shown on 29 minutes. Biggie was brought down just short of the Crewe by-line and referee Tanner pointed for a free kick. Lee Cook took a scorching free kick which swung in on goal with such force that keeper Ross Turnbull just about managed to palm it away with a good reflex save.
Furlong continued his profligacy missing two great chances in a row. On 31 minutes Furs put a super low cross wide of goal albeit under challenge. Then on 35 came the best chance of the half. A beautifully-weighted aerial cross should have been powered home by Furs but he somehow contrived to limply nod the free header into the welcoming arms of Turnbull.
Then against the run of play on 36 minutes the Crewe breakaway happened. Luke Rodgers played through a beautiful ball for Lunt who hungrily slipped it pass Jones from 12 yards.
The rest of the first half was notably for Furs missing another header and putting another shot over the bar. And so it was an understandably unhappy reaction that met the players going in for the break.
It should have been 0-2 to the visitors after the restart. Steve Jones made another of his surging runs, crossed in, Rodgers dummied, leaving Lee Bell just Paul Jones to beat. But ?Jonah? saved the day yet again by somehow getting his body in the way a for another wonder save.
It then became the Milanese and Cookie show as wave upon wave of attacks rained down upon the Crewe defence from the left wing. At one point Mauro Milanese went steaming forward with the ball, interpassing with Cook, was dispossessed, but then brilliantly anticipated Jon Ostemobor?s backpass. Unfortunately Milanese?s subsequent pass across goal was missed by both Furlong and Ainsworth. Milanese almost scored immediately afterwards with another searing run down the flank.
The hapless Bignot was replaced with Langley on 64 minutes as Waddock sought to force an equaliser. Rangers went to a 3-5-2 system with Ian Evatt moving over to the right to try to cover the right hand defensive space.
Yet this change was to be the root cause of Rangers? undoing for the second goal. On 73 minutes Crewe again found Steve Jones down the left ? now in a huge gap where Bignot had been. Evatt tried to get across, but before he got anywhere near Jones had crossed to David Vaughan who placed the ball into the Rangers net.
Panic stations began and the crowd?s negative reaction intensified with the introduction of Stefan Moore. A lot of frantic huff and puff ensued from the Hoops, but nothing in the way of real chances materialised. That is until Ainsworth scored with the last kick of the game ? by which time anyone who cared knew the game was up, and those that didn?t were long gone.
Line-ups
QPR: Jones, Bignot (Langley 64), Evatt, Shittu, Milanese, Ainsworth, Bircham, Lomas, Cook, Furlong (Moore 74), Nygaard
Subs Not Used: Cole, Santos, Bailey
Booked: Bircham, Evatt
Goals: Ainsworth 90.
Crewe: Turnbull, Otsemobor, Bougherra, Foster, Billy Jones, Bell, Lunt, Grant, Taylor (Varney 89), Rodgers (Vaughan 60), Steve Jones.
Subs Not Used: Tomlinson, McCready, Higdon
Goals: Lunt 39, Vaughan 73
Att: 12,877
Ref: S Tanner (Somerset)
Player Ratings
Paul Jones ? 7
More great saves from Jonah kept the scoreline down, particularly at the start at the second half. One or two of the squad could take a leaf out of this man?s book.
Marcus Bignot ? 5
Didn?t do too much wrong today but didn?t really stand out either. A quiet day for the right flank.
Ian Evatt ? 4
Appearing on the front of the matchday programme is clearly a kiss of death. The headline screamed ?a return to form? ? ironic given a disinterested and frustrating display. Seem to expect colleagues to bail him out. Bit of a problem after Bignot went off. Evatt has the potential ? but it all wrong for him.
Danny Shittu – 6
Easily had the beating of Gareth Taylor, but that?s not where the threat came from. A very quiet captain today.
Mauro Milanese ? 8
Almost my choice of Star Player. Has Mauro been struggling for fitness? If you?ve read my recent review you?ll know I haven?t been too impressed. Yet, he was on fire today ? confident in defence, electric in attack particular in the second half when the wheels were falling off in other areas. Eccellente!
Gareth Ainsworth ? 6
Another subdued performance from the long-haired one ? although he gave his all nothing much came off. You can?t question his effort, just not as effective as we know he can be.
Steve Lomas – 5
Went missing at times and when he was there you wondered why he bothered. Very strange from a player who was bossing it just a couple of weeks ago. Not on top of it today.
Marc Bircham – 6
Good first half today. Combative as ever and in the right places. As most of the other players though, got carried away in the panic after the second goal
Lee Cook ? 8*
Star Player ? See Above
Mark Nygaard ? 4
Lack of fitness may have been a telling factor in a lacklustre performance from our 6?7?. Can?t seem to play for more than an hour, but was forced to after Furs was subbed for Moore. Didn?t win much in the air and didn?t contribute on the floor.
Paul Furlong – 4
Had the lion?s share of the chances of our two front men, and squandered them all. The first half free header sitter was unforgivable. Showed why today this season may be his last in the Championship.
Richard Langley ? 6
Didn?t make the impact hoped ? not helped by the headless chickens around him
Stefan Moore – 4
Booing a young man doesn?t make him a better player. But he?s not in the ?right place? to be thrown into this situation. Unfortunately, he?s not good enough either.
Manager Rating
Gary Waddock- 5
Why not the promised changes? Who knows what?s going on behind the scenes but it can?t be helping. Langley was the right sub at the right time but going 3-5-2 with hindsight looks wrong. Who?d be in Waddo?s shoes right now?
Opponent Rating
Dario Gradi- 7
Made the right changes at the right times, played the neat football everyone expects from Crewe and his tactics were spot-on.
Oppo Star Man
Steve Jones ? 8
Quality. Menaced us all afternoon. Dario signed this guy from Leigh RMI for £75K. How does he do it?
Dario ? I take my hat off to you!!!
BY STEVE SAYCE FOR VITAL QPR!