A BRACE from defender Ed Harris helped round off a useful comeback as the R’s were held by Aldershot Town.
A brace from defender Ed Harris helped round off a useful comeback as the R’s were held by Aldershot Town.
Rangers were playing their first game at their new home of the Recreation Ground, ironically hosting Aldershot.
QPR themselves named a youthful side comprising of several squad members including Joe Oastler, Matteo Alberti, Romone Rose, Antonio German and Angelo Balanta. Sam Bewick played his second game in five days after featuring for the Under 18s at Luton on Saturday.
The Shots raced into third minute lead when striker John Grant, a striker who helped the Shots to promotion in 2008, reacted fastest from a Danny Hylton throw in to clip the ball over goalkeeper Bulmer from the edge of the area.
They were two up inside the opening ten minutes and Grant was once again in the thick of the action, cruelly deflecting a Bobby Hopkinson drive past the rooted Nik-Lee Bulmer.
If things couldn’t get much worse for Rangers, striker Josh Parker was forced to withdrawn with what was later discerned as a broken collarbone with Michael Harriman taking to the field in his stead.
Rangers were beginning to get a foothold in the fixture with the more experienced heads of Matteo Alberti and the returning Romone Rose opening up the Shots defence on numerous occasions.
They had their reward shortly after 20 minutes when Ed Harris latched onto a Max Ehmer corner only to see his effort blocked. The defender reacted quickly to dispatch the ball at the second attempt from close range.
Balanta showed his sharpness hasn`t waned during his absence as he robbed Ben Hutchings from the edge of the area, only to be thwarted by an excellent save by Clark Masters shortly after the hour mark.
Rose was causing all manner of havoc in the Shots rearguard and his effort just after the break came back off the right hand upright and swiftly cleared away from the onrushing Antonio German.
Rangers got their deserved equaliser, and at this moment in time there was only one side that looked like winning the fixture. Another corner this time from the impressive Balanta saw Ed Harris stoop to head home the leveller.
The game was successful for the right reasons however with Angelo Balanta coming through the vast majority of the game and Romone Rose giving a timely reminder as to his ability has he returns from his loan spell at Northampton Town.
QPR: Nik-Lee Bulmer; Josh Parker (Michael Harriman 8), Lee Brown, Ed Harris, Joe Oastler; Matteo Alberti, Sam Bewick, Max Ehmer (Aaron Waters 66), Romone Rose; Antonio German, Angelo Balanta (Michael Doughty 87).
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