Rangers came away from Hillsborough with a hard-fought for point courtesy of a first-half Marc Bircham header, a second half Paul Jones double save and (for once) some favourable refereeing from the controversial Andy D’Urso- writes Steve Sayce.
With players coming back from injury, Gary Waddock added steel and experience to the midfield by playing Bircham and Steve Lomas in the centre. Maybe surprisingly given the quality of their performance at home against Wolves, both Richard Langley and Stefan Bailey made way.
The first five minutes commenced very evenly as the two teams sniffed each other out. On five minutes Bircham intercepted a Wednesday throw-in which Kevin Gallen flicked on to Gareth Ainsworth who was lurking centrally. ?Wild Thing’ unleashed a swerving 25-yard effort which on-loan Liverpool stopper Scott Carson made a great effort to block.
Wednesday immediately responded with a searing breakaway. Burton O’Brien produced a pinpoint cross for ex-Derby and Brentford man Deon Burton whose header Paul Jones managed to parry the ball wide with his fingertips for a corner.
Soon after this Yoann Folly found acres of space through the Rangers midfield, as he would do a number of times, to surge forward. Playing some neat passing with Marcus Tudgay the on-loan midfielder seemed to be in on goal when Matthew Rose made a well-timed last-ditch tackle.
Burton opened the scoring for Wednesday on twelve minutes. Glenn Whelen picked up the ball from a throw-in and launched it forward into the danger area. Danny Shittu was caught ball-watching and Marcus Bignot had no chance to cover as the ball fell into the path of a disbelieving Burton, who gratefully accepted the gift.
The remainder of the first half was uninspiring fare as Wednesday sat comfortably on their lead. Wednesday played the better football and had the better of the midfield possession. The formation lacked width with Gallen often having to go out wide to collect the ball and Lee Cook playing centrally.
Rangers huffed and puffed but failed to take real advantage of spells of possession, plus a series of possibly ?fortunate’ decisions from Andy D’Urso.
D’Urso, not known for favouring the blue and white hoops of W12, enraged the Hillsborough crowd by booking Paul Sturrock’s new signing Mikkel Bischoff for a challenge on Paul Furlong ? the Owls’ faithful clearly thought otherwise.
Rangers created a couple of minor first half chances but didn’t threaten the goal until the equaliser in the 43rd minute. Lomas had chased a long pass down near the right hand corner flag and was upended for his troubles. Cook produced a sublime in-swinging cross from the resulting free kick which Bircham met with a glancing header which left Carson with no chance.
So it was all to play for after the break but it was Wednesday who came out the brightest. Rangers looked visibly lethargic from the off, and this perhaps led to the turning point of the game. O’Brien stepped past Bignot down the left and punched in a low cross. Tudgay then fired in two point-blank shots at Jones whilst Rose pirouetted in confusion. Somehow Jones managed to block both but still the danger wasn’t clear ? the second parry fell neatly for Burton to smash in, but he launched it onto the bar. Tudgay had an open goal to head in the fourth chance in quick succession, but could only balloon it over the bar.
Wednesday squandered another chanced when Burton made a rather tepid contact from a superb Lee Bullen cross in the 54th minute. Rangers made very hard work of getting out of their own half in the first ten minutes after the interval and a number of unnecessary passing mistakes were evident with Mauro Milanese, Bignot and Lomas being the worst offenders.
On the hour mark Cook and Ainsworth switched flanks but with Rangers making such heavy weather of possession it had little effect.
Rangers’ best chance of the second period came on 67 minutes from a free kick. Cook whipped the ball in over the wall from outside the 18 yard box, and not touching any defender on the way through it took a lightning reaction from Carson to fingertip it away.
Langley came on for Cook on 70 minutes and made an immediate impact in helping Rangers to weather the storm of the Wednesday pressure and attacks. Shabazz Baidoo came on for Furlong on 86 minutes.
Sturrock used all three subs, including former Rangers loanees Frankie Simek and Leon Best, in the last fifteen minutes to shake things up and force a winner but it was to no avail.
Rangers fought a creditable rearguard action to win the point at Hillsborough, but it was at a cost ? Rose picked up a late injury and club and fans alike await news on the seriousness of this.
Line-ups
QPR: Jones, Bignot, Shittu, Rose (Evatt 90), Milanese, Ainsworth, Bircham, Lomas, Cook (Langley 69), Gallen, Furlong (Baidoo 86)
Subs not used: Royce, Bailey
Goals: Bircham 42
Bookings: none
Sheffield Wednesday: Carson, Bullen, Folly, Coughlan, Whelan, O’Brien, Brunt (Best 83), Burton, Bischoff (Simek 83), Gilbert, Tudgay (MacLean 76).
Subs not used: Adamson, Hills.
Goals: Burton 12
Bookings: Bischoff 23
BY STEVE SAYCE
Player Ratings
Paul Jones (8)
As against Wolves, Jones pulls off a double-save and we’re not left empty-handed. A superior, committed performance today ? no chance with the goal. Royce will have his work cut out getting his place back.
Marcus Bignot (6)
Distribution poor today. Why does Marcus struggle away from home? Still, some important cover tackling.
Matthew Rose (6)
Poor Matty ? let’s hope the injury isn’t a recurrence of the long term problem. Otherwise, a bit up and down today.
Danny Shittu (6)
At fault for the goal but an otherwise decent performance.
Mauro Milanese (3)
The worst performance I have seen from Mauro in a Rangers shirt. Looked unfit and, bar a couple of forays down the wing in the first half, disinterested. Dreadful passing and control today. Sorry mate.
Gareth Ainsworth (7)
Steady, consistent. High workrate if unspectacular today. Gives a lot to the team even if he is not steaming down the wing every two minutes.
Steve Lomas (5)
Not one of Stevie’s better performances. Maybe not quite fit? Was chasing it a lot in midfield.
Marc Bircham (7)
Scored, but also seemed to be more on the button than Lomas. In amongst it and linking up play well. Should keep the doubters quiet for a little while.
Lee Cook (6)
Some good runs but kept getting pulled too central. Is this the plan? Great cross for the goal.
Kevin Gallen (6)
Quiet today, although not a day for Rangers strikers.
Paul Furlong (6)
Ditto ? although looked busy and up for it. Could’ve been a lot more effective with better service.
Richard Langley (7)
Had a good twenty minutes, and maybe showed why he should have been on early. Forward play was much more deliberate and thoughtful with him at the centre of it. He was an extra outlet when under the cosh of the Wednesday attacks.
Manager Rating
Gary Waddock (6)Waddo’s choice of a sturdier midfield away against a battling relegation-threatened team was understandable, but maybe it was a little too much change all at once. The passing on display at Wolves was quickly exchanged for hoofball, and ?play ugly’, although that’s perhaps what the situation required.
The substitution of Langley for Cook worked a treat and was one of the factors that saved Rangers a point.