| Queens Park Rangers News - E: kensington@myvillage.co.uk | |
| 14/04/01 Portsmouth 1 - QPR 1 | |
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Fratton Park The Division One futures of Portsmouth and QPR are still in doubt after the struggling pair cancelled each other out in a tense relegation encounter. Pompey, just above the drop zone and reeling from the announcement of a £3million loss last year, struck first through Lee Bradbury, only for Andy Thomson's second goal in a week to ensure the draw. The point did little to ease the frayed neve-ends among both sets of supporters, although with only Grimsby winning in the bottom seven, it was perhaps not as bad as first feared. Certainly not for Pompey. Hovering perilously fifth from bottom going into the game and on the end of a three-match losing streak, chairman Milan Mandaric chose the build-up to the biggest match in Graham Rix's reign to announce even bigger losses off the pitch. But somehow the Pompey players settled straight into their game and with just two minutes on the clock, looked set to send Rangers to a defeat that would have snapped their already wafer-thin lifeline completely. The visitors only had themselves to blame as Lee Sharpe's corner caused havoc in the six-yard box and Lee Bradbury was allowed to steal in among the tumbling bodies and mark his return from suspension with a point-blank header. The goal sapped whatever confidence Rangers could have mustered after throwing away a two-goal lead in midweek and Carl Tiler prodded an effort wide, Jason Crowe and Lee Mills fired straight at keeper Lee Harper and Chris Plummer's clearance kept Bradbury from adding a second. Somehow Rangers stayed in the game and should have gone in on terms but for the controversial intervention of a linesman. Matthew Rose charged down a poor back pass and crossed for Peter Crouch to head goalwards and although Thomson arrived to bundle the ball in, the flag was up against Crouch and referee Steve Tomlin decided to rule the goal out. If that was not enough to spark a response from the R's, Holloway's half-time sermon was almost rewarded with second-half salvation as his side came roaring out on the resumption. Recent signing Thomson headed over from Ian Baraclough's cross before making it third time lucky with the leveller snapping up the rebound afger Aaron Flahavan could only parry a thundering drive from Leon Knight. The goal set up a thrilling finale and Rangers sub Stuart Wardley almost almost snatched the extra two points on offer with a cracking drive, while Sharpe and Scott Hiley both sent efforts straight at Harper.
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QPR Match Results 2000-2001 28/04/01 - QPR 0 - Stockport 3 21/04/01 - Huddersfield Town 2 - QPR 1 16/04/01 QPR 2 - Tranmere Rovers 0 31/03/01 Notts Forest 1 - QPR 1 17/03/01
QPR 0 - Grimsby Town 1
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