A trip to Sheffield..
Läs Lloydys reserapport från "miraklet på Bramall Lane"
Lloydy var på plats då QPR chockade Sheffield United och gick vidare i ligacupen! Läs den spännande rapporten här!
What a fantastic evening supporting QPR this was and well worth the decision to travel up for the Carling Cup 2nd round match. As some of you know Sheffield United are my 2nd' team having lived a couple of moose lengths from the ground during my student days.
I made a late decision to take a half-day from work and picked Kevin Hastings (one of the US R's who is over here for a year studying) at the train station and made a leisurely start on our journey north. We stopped at some services on the M1 and soon ran into some fellow QPR fans and then the supporters' coach turned up and so we had a chat with some familiar faces.
We arrived in Sheffield at 5pm and met some of the local Yorkshire R's in a pub about 10 minutes walk from the ground, I'd forgotten how cheap the beer was in Yorkshire!!
The team news was that Palmer had been dropped to the bench in favour of Bircham and Kevin Gallen added the magic captain's armband to his magic hat. Terrell Forbes came in at centre back to partner Big Dan with Edgehill at right back and Rowlands playing at right midfield/wing, Ainsworth still not being fully fit.
There have been varying estimates in the number of QPR fans present but they were all in good voice though it was disappointing to see relatively few Sheffield United fans had bothered to attend.
From the outset we sung and basically they didn't, which by the final whilst resulted in us singing some of their songs to give it a more authentic feel.
We started brightly and it was clear that the QPR players were really up for it against a Sheffield United side which whilst not full strength did include highly rated players such as Brown, Tonge and Jagielka.
With Bean and Bircham comfortably soaking up the pressure in midfield and McLeod and Rowlands charging up and down the wings the Blades defence started to panic and were slicing clearances out all over the place. The R's won a few corners but Rowlands in particular seemed incapable of beating the man at the near post so that came to nothing.
Furlong had a couple of half chances and Gallen a very header which was just turned behind before the mighty Superhoops took a well deserved lead, some nice interplay on the left with Mcleod and Gallen, the latter finding Rowlands coming in off the wing, squared it to him about the centre of the box and 1-0 R's.no more than we deserved and the crowd really started to find their voices.
Minutes later it could (and probably should) have been 2-0 as McLeod made a great run down the left and his pinpoint accurate cross found Gallen charging into the box where he met it on the full only for his shot to go narrowly over the bar.
In the end that didn't matter as just before half-time Padula picked up the ball following a Blades corner and the R's streamed forward on the break with Gallen again the provider feeding Rowlands wide on the right who buried his shot low into the far left hand corner of the net from the edge of the box, somehow most of just knew we would score as soon as he got the ball and one of our newest heroes duly obliged.
The Blades players had clearly been given a right talking to during the break as they came out looking a lot better and for 20 minutes gave us a tough time. We did however almost immediately go three up as McLeod went on another run and their keeper had to fling himself to his right to beat away a fierce shot.
Fortunately Forbes and Big Dan kept the Blades quiet and with Edgehill (who looks a great signing) particularly assured on the ball and Gino his usual tenacious self on the flanks the opposition could find no way through. It did mean we resorted to having to hoof the ball back up field at times but Sheffield seemed to be unable to create any clearcut chances. Chris Day did not have to make a serious save all evening though his placement is so good he probably just made it look easy!!
20 minutes into the half and Sheffield seemed to realise it wasn't going to be their night and eased off again which gave us a bit more time on the ball and the match played itself out though Rowlands did have to leave the pitch injured but he did walk back on quite comfortably after the final whistle.
The locals were streaming out of the ground long before either the final whistle sounded or indeed before the R's stopped singing.
A great night out and though I didn't get back home until 1am I am so pleased to have made the trip.
My Man of the Match - Danny Shittu - the rock on which the win was built.
