| Queens Park Rangers News - E: kensington@myvillage.co.uk | |
| 10-03-01 Fulham 2 - QPR 0 | |
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Craven Cottage Fulham maintained their Division One dominance by putting West London neighbours QPR firmly in their place at Craven Cottage. A Louis Saha penalty - his 25th strike of the season - and a last-minute effort from Lee Clark kept Jean Tigana's table-toppers bounding confidently to life among the Premiership big boys. In contrast, Rangers are still stuck in the bottom three and still waiting for their first success under new manager Ian Holloway - and on a day when precious points and local pride were on the line, rarely looked like achieving it. The one consolation for the fans who made the short trip south of the river was that Rangers' fellow strugglers - with the exception of Sheffield Wednesday - also endured another miserable afternoon. For Fulham it was another routine display and although Rangers battled valiantly, the class of a side 12 points clear at the top of the table was there for all to see. From the moment Karl Ready almost diverted a cross from former team-mate Rufus Brevett into his own net, Fulham slowly assumed control and could have forged ahead on 29 minutes had Saha's header from a Bjarne Goldbaek corner crashed out off the underside of the bar. Rangers keeper Lee Harper was forced into two fine saves from John Collins and midfield colleague Clark, although from the second parry Rangers fell behind as Steve Finnan picked up the loose ball but was adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Ready. Saha, with 24 goals to his name already this term, waited for the protests to peter our before confidently drilling home the spot kick to send his side into the interval deserevdly ahead. Yet Rangers trudged off rueing a poor miss from Gavin Peacock, who was sent clean through on Maik Taylor's goal only to lift his chip over the bar to compound a forgettable week in which he also missed a penalty against Watford. On-loan striker Leon Knight's first showing in a blue and white hoope shirt saw him shoot straight at Taylor after the restart and from then on, the derby spoils were destined to stay at Craven Cottage. Harper struggled under a succession of high balls all afternoon, but atoned by denying Saha a second with his legs while Fulham subs Luis Boa Morte and Karlheinz Riedle both squandered chances to double the lead. The inevitable second goal eventually arrived in the final minutes as Clark was rewarded for another industrious display by latching onto Boa Morte's through-ball and slotting home past Harper's despairing dive.
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| Features |
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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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