Match Report: 2010/2011 Season

6 November 2010: CHAMPIONSHIP
QPR 3 READING 1
goals
Reading: Long (68 mins).
QPR: Taarabt 27 (mins, pen), Faurlin (61 mins), Smith (71 mins).
Half Time: 1-0.

Attendance: 15,692

CHAMPIONSHIP 6 Nov 2010
Pos Team P Pts GD
9 Burnley 15 22 +6
10 READING 15 22 +6
11 Watford 15 22 +4
teams
Reading: Federici, Mills, Harte, Griffin, Khizanishvili, McAnuff, Tabb (Antonio, 81) , Howard, Karacan (Church, 62) , Robson-Kanu (Hunt, 72) , Long. Subs not used: Pearce, Cummings, McCarthy, Armstrong.
QPR: Kenny, Orr (sent off 44), Connolly, Gorkss, Walker, Derry, Taarabt (Clarke, 80) , Faurlin, Mackie, Smith (Ephraim, 89) , Hulse (Agyemang, 81). Subs not used: Leigertwood, Rowlands, Cerny, Parker.
bookings
Reading: Antonio, Karacan, Mills.
QPR: Clarke, Derry.
Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset).
report
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Enjoyed the game but we had gilt edge chances to get back into it that we didn't take. Forgot why I hate Warnock so much, their players were diving and timewasting all over the place which was a shame because when they got on with it they played great stuff. They're not as good as they think they are but we clearly don't have the quality they do. Wasn't impressed with harte, mcanuff took too long to get the ball in the box, Griffin never looked up when our forwards were making great runs, Howard was good, so was HRK (although noone passed to him in the second half) and the crowd was pretty poor.
Pea

Officially back now - yeah, Taraabt is class and they will probably go up, and credit to Warnock if they do. A VERY tough, athletic, organised back four - with or without Orr, 1 target man who can't hit a barn door but wins everything that is thrown at him (Hulse), 3 talented attacking players supporting him (Smith, Mackie and Taraabt) and a proper captain in the middle of the field in Derry. I just read the match thread and a few people are questioning McDermott's tactics. I actually think that we looked the more likely to score at 0-1 and 11 on 10 so I dont blame him for keeping the formation and players as they were. QPR's second and third goals seemed to come a bit against thre run of play and when the third went in we might as well have had 14 players on the pitch as we were by then well beaten. I would perhaps argue that at 0-0 and 25mins in, we were being so overrun that THAT was the time to change things...
PistolPete

Even down to 10 men we were outplayed. We had to put 2 players on Taarabt, and still he out-muscled and out-played them. Howard gave away the penalty, Taarabt having just waltzed past Griffin and Karacan (?) in the corner of the pitch. No complaints about that penalty. Mills is captain in name only. It was Zurab who was organising the back line and sorting out Mills, who was lucky to stay on the pitch after his petulant hissy fit. He is a red card waiting to happen as soon as the pressure is on - he hasn't yet learned how to control and channel his emotions in a positive way. QPR remind me of Bolton in the way they play - or perhaps the Bolton of the Allardyce era rather than the current team. They are physical, fit, and skillful, and they are probably going to go up this season. On today's showing, we are some way short of that level.
Upper West Ginger

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

QPR ended a sequence of four draws with a victory over Reading that took them back to the top of the Championship. Adel Taarabt converted a penalty after he had been fouled by Matt Mills before team-mate Bradley Orr was sent off for a poor challenge on Hal Robson-Kanu. Alejandro Faurlin pounced on a loose ball to make it 2-0 before Shane Long pulled a goal back from 25 yards. Tommy Smith sealed the victory by tapping home after Adam Federici had parried a free-kick from Taarabt. QPR's tenure at the top of the table could be short-lived if Cardiff defeat Welsh rivals Swansea on Sunday.

But after a run of games that had seen Neil Warnock's team score just twice in four fixtures, at least the London club were back to winning ways and extended their unbeaten start to the season to 15 games. Taarabt provided the inspiration, drawing drawing a foul from Mills with his dribbling skills before audaciously slotting the resulting spot kick past Australia keeper Federici. The Morocco international was also involved in the second goal, releasing Jamie Mackie down the right for a cross which was only half-cleared, allowing Faurlin to pounce. But it was not a perfect afternoon for Rangers, with striker Rob Hulse again toiling in vain for his first goal for the club since joining from Derby in August. He was guilty of an awful early miss after Faurlin's initial strike hit the underside of the bar, while Reading were left to rue a wasted opportunity by striker Simon Church late on which might have set up a tense finish.

BBC Sport