Match 23. QPR v MK Dons

Saturday 26th January 2013 @3pm

FA Cup 4th Round

QPR 2-4 MK DONS

Loftus Road Stadium, South Africa Road, London

 

Admission: £15 + £3.50 booking fee

Programme: £2 (52 pages)

Attendance: 17,081

FOOD & DRINK: Chicken Balti Pie and bottle of Carlsberg £6.50

  

I chose this match on the Thursday, making a second consecutive revisit to a League ground.  This is something I hadn't done since my 92 club hopping in the 1990s.  I still like QPR, a ground I visited frequently in the early 1990s as a work colleague and I went to evening games as he was a QPR fan and they had players like Les Ferdinand, Trevor Sinclair, Alan McDonald, Simon Barker and Ian Holloway. I walked from White City Tube which is the dullest way to Loftus Road.  A much better walk from Shepherd Bush Market where you can take in a pub or two, as well as choice of a pre-match meal, rather than trying to get in the packed Springbok pub (I didn't bother) and having to eat underwhelming food inside the ground (which I did).  The seats aren't built for comfort, but I had an end of aisle seat in the upper tier of the South Africa Road Stand, surrounded by season ticket holders. My seat is normally used by a guy who went to America for the week.  I was expecting a good atmosphere as the club had priced the game about right, with the ground almost full.  I didn't realise QPR proceeded to play diabolical, allowing MK Dons to triumph without even playing their best.

  

The hosts started the better with DJ Campbell finding the net in the 1st minute, only to be given offside. Then 3 minutes later, MK won a corner on the right and the near post cross was turned into the roof of the net by Traore.  QPR had more possession but not creating any real chances.  Granero was supposed to be the creator from Midfield, but his passing often went astray, and Park looks nothing like the player he was at Man Utd.  Even with a nearly full chance from the side doing well to try and get out of the bottom of the Premier League, the line up was recognisable, and probably containing half a side happy just to pick up their cheque every week.  If Harry was putting them in the shop window, I don’t think anyone will be rushing to bid for them in this Transfer window, aside from perhaps Zamora, who came out with credit. MK Dons double their lead just before half time as Ferdinand let a long ball pass behind him into the path of Lowe who shot passed the exposed Green.

Whatever plans for a comeback QPR had were demolished 5 minutes after the restart as Harley put the visitors 3-0 up.  Five minutes later it was 4 as the defence remained static as Potter sent a curler into the corner.  I had kept an eye on the appalling performance of Park, who lost the ball EVERY time he got possession in the 2nd half.  Rednapp put him out of his misery just after the hour and he was rightly booed off by the home fans, some of whom had already headed for the exit.

Bothroyd nodded home in the 83rd minute after Zamora's hard work, and Fabio scored right at the end even though half the stadium had left by then. Both sets of fans ignored them at the final whistle, preferring to applaud the away team. Many won't play again for QPR, but will be happy to continue to be paid.