QPR extended their lead at the top of the Championship this afternoon with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at the Walkers Stadium.
Two goals from the in-form Jamie Mackie were enough to give QPR their sixth win in seven games, and pile more pressure on the struggling Foxes.
Leicester will have felt aggrieved to have not been awarded a second half penalty after substitute Steve Howard was involved in a clash which left him with blood pouring from his nose, which might have changed the game with the score still just 1-0.
However, another loss meant that Paulo Sousa’s men now find themselves in the bottom three again after another disappointing result.
Jamie Mackie opened the scoring for the away side in the twelfth minute when Adel Taarabt picked out the former Plymouth striker with a precise ball into the penalty area, who headed past goalkeeper Carl Ikeme to net his seventh goal in as many league games and continue his blistering start to the season.
The goal left Leicester falling behind in yet another game, leaving them with a mountain to climb against Neil Warnock’s men, who are still yet to be beaten in the league this season.
Chances were few and far between for Leicester in the first half, although Martyn Waghorn came closest with a powerful header from a quick Richie Wellens free kick, and shortly after with a near post shot which was saved at point blank range by goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.
The turning point in the match came in the second half when substitute Steve Howard – the only change to Leicester’s starting eleven from Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Cardiff City - appeared to receive an elbow to the face in the penalty area following an aerial clash with the QPR defence.
However, the official quickly waved away any protests from the home side, despite the incident requiring the bloodied Howard to leave the pitch for treatment and a change of shirt.
As the intensity of the match began to build, Leicester came close to equalising when Andy King’s fine strike from twenty yards was well-matched by Paddy Kenny who parried the ball away at full stretch.
But QPR put the game to bed with a goal which came against the run of play, as Jamie Mackie found himself one on one against defender Michael Morrison, before firing past Ikeme into the bottom corner for his second goal of the game, and eighth of the season.
Although seven minutes of injury time were added on at the end of the match, Leicester failed to turn possession into any further goal scoring opportunities, allowing QPR to see the game out and extend their lead at the top of the table to five points, and condemning Leicester to their fourth defeat in seven in the Championship.
Man of the Match – Jamie Mackie
Saturday 18 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Leicester City 2 - 1 Cardiff - 14th September 2010
Two second half goals from Andy King gave Paulo Sousa his first league win as Leicester City manager at the expense of high flying Cardiff.
The visitors took the lead in the first half when Lee Naylor’s bizarre cross-turned-shot deceived everyone - including Leicester goalkeeper Carl Ikeme who was caught off his line.
But the Foxes struck back through Andy King who made a late run into the penalty area to head home Richie Wellens’ cross.
King scored his second of the night seventeen minutes later with a superb curling strike, condemning Cardiff to their first loss of the season.
The win demonstrated that any bad memories from the end of last season when Cardiff dumped Leicester out of the play-offs on penalties had certainly been vanquished.
The match saw Martyn Waghorn’s return to the Walkers Stadium, who spent last season with Leicester on loan from Sunderland, scoring twelve goals in the process.
Cardiff – who were without the injured Michael Chopra, Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd and Seyi Olofinjana – took the lead in after 26 minutes in the most bizarre circumstances.
Lee Naylor’s cross from over 40 yards out by the touchline managed to confuse everybody, including on loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, as it flew over his head and into the top corner.
It was very much the story of the season so far for the home side with the goal coming against the run of play, as it was Leicester that had started the stronger of the two teams.
Cardiff then took control of the match and created some good chances to double their lead, with Jason Koumas firing wide from a corner and Chris Burke hitting the target after some nice work from Peter Whittingham.
Leicester finished the first half enthusiastically and were unlucky not to draw level when Martyn Waghorn’s corner found Steve Howard in the six yard box, only to have his header scrambled away by the Cardiff defence.
The Foxes exploded out of the gates in the second half, forcing Cardiff to defend in numbers as Sousa’s preferred 4-3-3 formation began to make a game changing impact.
Six minutes into the second half, Leicester deservedly drew level after a pinpoint cross by Richie Wellens found Andy King who had made an untracked run into the penalty area and duly headed the ball past Bluebirds’ goalkeeper David Marshall.
After the equaliser, it was one way traffic for the majority of the second half as the pressure mounted on Cardiff – who had not lost away from home so far this season – as Leicester continued to attack the flanks courtesy of the pace of Martyn Waghorn and Lloyd Dyer.
Dyer had a great opportunity to put Leicester ahead after Steve Howard’s knock down fell into the path of the speedy winger, but he could only hit the side netting with a shot from a tight angle.
Skipper Matt Oakley then unleashed a fierce strike through the heart of the Cardiff defence which was parried by Marshall – who then excellently tipped Martyn Waghorn’s follow-up shot around the near post.
Leicester were rewarded for their persistence with just over twenty minutes to go when Andy King netted his second of the night – and fourth of the season – with a fantastic curling strike from inside the area to put the Foxes ahead, sending the home fans into raptures.
Leicester should have made it 3-1 after a calamitous goal kick from David Marshall put Lloyd Dyer through in on goal, but his shot hit the outside of the post and went agonisingly wide.
Leicester went on to see out the win after a nerve-racking five minutes of injury time, giving Paulo Sousa his first victory of the Championship campaign and the Blue Army faithful a sense of retribution following the play-off heartbreak of last season.
Man of the Match – Andy King
The visitors took the lead in the first half when Lee Naylor’s bizarre cross-turned-shot deceived everyone - including Leicester goalkeeper Carl Ikeme who was caught off his line.
But the Foxes struck back through Andy King who made a late run into the penalty area to head home Richie Wellens’ cross.
King scored his second of the night seventeen minutes later with a superb curling strike, condemning Cardiff to their first loss of the season.
The win demonstrated that any bad memories from the end of last season when Cardiff dumped Leicester out of the play-offs on penalties had certainly been vanquished.
The match saw Martyn Waghorn’s return to the Walkers Stadium, who spent last season with Leicester on loan from Sunderland, scoring twelve goals in the process.
Cardiff – who were without the injured Michael Chopra, Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd and Seyi Olofinjana – took the lead in after 26 minutes in the most bizarre circumstances.
Lee Naylor’s cross from over 40 yards out by the touchline managed to confuse everybody, including on loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, as it flew over his head and into the top corner.
It was very much the story of the season so far for the home side with the goal coming against the run of play, as it was Leicester that had started the stronger of the two teams.
Cardiff then took control of the match and created some good chances to double their lead, with Jason Koumas firing wide from a corner and Chris Burke hitting the target after some nice work from Peter Whittingham.
Leicester finished the first half enthusiastically and were unlucky not to draw level when Martyn Waghorn’s corner found Steve Howard in the six yard box, only to have his header scrambled away by the Cardiff defence.
The Foxes exploded out of the gates in the second half, forcing Cardiff to defend in numbers as Sousa’s preferred 4-3-3 formation began to make a game changing impact.
Six minutes into the second half, Leicester deservedly drew level after a pinpoint cross by Richie Wellens found Andy King who had made an untracked run into the penalty area and duly headed the ball past Bluebirds’ goalkeeper David Marshall.
After the equaliser, it was one way traffic for the majority of the second half as the pressure mounted on Cardiff – who had not lost away from home so far this season – as Leicester continued to attack the flanks courtesy of the pace of Martyn Waghorn and Lloyd Dyer.
Dyer had a great opportunity to put Leicester ahead after Steve Howard’s knock down fell into the path of the speedy winger, but he could only hit the side netting with a shot from a tight angle.
Skipper Matt Oakley then unleashed a fierce strike through the heart of the Cardiff defence which was parried by Marshall – who then excellently tipped Martyn Waghorn’s follow-up shot around the near post.
Leicester were rewarded for their persistence with just over twenty minutes to go when Andy King netted his second of the night – and fourth of the season – with a fantastic curling strike from inside the area to put the Foxes ahead, sending the home fans into raptures.
Leicester should have made it 3-1 after a calamitous goal kick from David Marshall put Lloyd Dyer through in on goal, but his shot hit the outside of the post and went agonisingly wide.
Leicester went on to see out the win after a nerve-racking five minutes of injury time, giving Paulo Sousa his first victory of the Championship campaign and the Blue Army faithful a sense of retribution following the play-off heartbreak of last season.
Man of the Match – Andy King
Monday 6 September 2010
Stevenage 1 - 1 Crewe Alexandra - 4th September 2010
A second half goal from Ashley Westwood was enough to earn Crewe Alexandra a deserved point against league newcomers Stevenage in a scrappy affair at the Lamex Stadium.
Yemi Odubade put the home side ahead in first half injury time, but Westwood’s equaliser ten minutes after the break brought Crewe level after a period of sustained pressure.
The momentum seemed to have shifted further towards the visitors when Stacey Long was dismissed for a foul on Mat-Mitchell King with 25 minutes remaining.
But a determined display from both defences ensured that the points were shared on the day, continuing Stevenage’s unbeaten home record.
Before the game, referee James Linington was not satisfied that Crewe’s away kit did not clash with Stevenage’s home kit, and thus the visitors were required to wear Stevenage’s all yellow away strip instead.
The first half contained very few chances for both sides, although Dario Gradi’s men will have felt aggrieved not to have found themselves ahead early on when the referee brought play back for a free kick after Clayton Donaldson was fouled, as Shaun Miller found the back of the net moments later with a long range strike – which was ruled out.
Crewe continued to push for an opener, and came close when Calvin Zola played the ball behind the Stevenage defence, but Ashley Westwood’s shot was well saved by Boro’ goalkeeper Chris Day.
It was the home side who scored first, when Stacey Long’s initial shot from distance rebounded off the woodwork, allowing the onrushing Yemi Odubade to tap the ball into an empty net, finishing off a well worked counter attacking move moments before the end of the first half.
The second half was very much a different story as Crewe came out firing on all cylinders - and were rewarded for their dominance when Ashley Westwood’s curling effort from over twenty yards hit the inside of the post and into the back of the net.
Both sides were poorly disciplined throughout the match, and Stevenage were reduced to ten men when Stacey Long was dismissed for a second bookable offence midway through the second half.
Crewe were on top for the remainder of the match, with 16 year old substitute Nick Powell forcing Chris Day to make another fine save with a long range shot.
Calvin Zola also came close for the visitors but could not find a winner, and the points were shared on the day.
Man of the Match – Mark Roberts (Stevenage)
Match highlights
Yemi Odubade put the home side ahead in first half injury time, but Westwood’s equaliser ten minutes after the break brought Crewe level after a period of sustained pressure.
The momentum seemed to have shifted further towards the visitors when Stacey Long was dismissed for a foul on Mat-Mitchell King with 25 minutes remaining.
But a determined display from both defences ensured that the points were shared on the day, continuing Stevenage’s unbeaten home record.
Before the game, referee James Linington was not satisfied that Crewe’s away kit did not clash with Stevenage’s home kit, and thus the visitors were required to wear Stevenage’s all yellow away strip instead.
The first half contained very few chances for both sides, although Dario Gradi’s men will have felt aggrieved not to have found themselves ahead early on when the referee brought play back for a free kick after Clayton Donaldson was fouled, as Shaun Miller found the back of the net moments later with a long range strike – which was ruled out.
Crewe continued to push for an opener, and came close when Calvin Zola played the ball behind the Stevenage defence, but Ashley Westwood’s shot was well saved by Boro’ goalkeeper Chris Day.
It was the home side who scored first, when Stacey Long’s initial shot from distance rebounded off the woodwork, allowing the onrushing Yemi Odubade to tap the ball into an empty net, finishing off a well worked counter attacking move moments before the end of the first half.
The second half was very much a different story as Crewe came out firing on all cylinders - and were rewarded for their dominance when Ashley Westwood’s curling effort from over twenty yards hit the inside of the post and into the back of the net.
Both sides were poorly disciplined throughout the match, and Stevenage were reduced to ten men when Stacey Long was dismissed for a second bookable offence midway through the second half.
Crewe were on top for the remainder of the match, with 16 year old substitute Nick Powell forcing Chris Day to make another fine save with a long range shot.
Calvin Zola also came close for the visitors but could not find a winner, and the points were shared on the day.
Man of the Match – Mark Roberts (Stevenage)
Match highlights
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