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The scoreboard was partially hidden from where I was sitting — the ‘1' after Wrexham was in view though, but for some reason I just didn't absorb this information until the 75th minute. There was nothing to suggest from the people around me that we were a goal behind, but then the scarcely populated SAR stand has never exactly been a hotbed of heated expression. If the Wrexham fans were lauding their lead, I was oblivious to it. I thought it rather strange when the Loft starting booing their ‘keeper for time wasting at goal-kicks when 1-0 down (so I thought), but again I didn't question why. I was festering in my own cocoon.
By the time Langley's lovely free-kick had given us the lead (sic), I was content enough. It was by no means a great performance up until this point, but we thoroughly deserved to be winning. Chances came and went in short bursts, whilst Wrexham hardly posed a threat at all, mainly thanks to Steve Palmer who was in total charge at the back.
With about 15 minutes remaining, I looked at the scoreboard. The ‘1' after Wrexham was beaming out like the brightest star on a clear night. After a double-take, I had to clarify from the bloke behind me that the score was indeed 1-1. I felt like a total muppet, a feeling in football I have never experienced before. After looking set for that much needed win, another bore-draw at home was looking the likely outcome — unlike most things, it hadn't escaped my attention that after Langley's goal, we had lost the ability to attack.
Then it occurred to me that I had in fact just watched two games of football. Originally, a half-decent performance against a poor side struggling for points, but we looked set to grind out three points in the end. And then, after realising we might only get a point, it became a desperate performance with us failing to capitalise on our near total possession and decent amount of chances created. At the fear of only embarrassing myself more, from here on, I will only talk about the game from the perspective of the latter — of course, the game of football everyone else was watching.
People will point to the double substitution of Doudou and Pacquette for Forbes and Griffiths as the turning point, but Holloway actually got very lucky. We'd started the second half in dominant fashion, a goal looking only the next attack away. There was no sense of unrest from the crowd for changes, but when they did arrive, we lost most of our shape. Pacquette hardly touched the ball, whilst Doudou, after being fouled for the free-kick almost immediately, left his only other contribution to last, but it was a brilliant one to set up Gallen's goal.
Griffiths was doing OK I thought, often erratic but a few decent crosses in the first half could have all lead to goals. The changes won us the game in the end, but the performance deteriorated quickly. I didn't care in the end, but it could have been more convincing.
Before Gallen's last gasp winner (and how he needed that goal), I feared the worst for Karl Connolly after coming off second best in that 50-50 challenge. When you go into a tackle face-on, you can only go in two-footed and hope you win the ball or risk facing a red card. What you don't do, and anyone that's played football will know about this, is stick one foot out whilst turning your body away to avoid collision with the opposing player — you're just inviting your leg to get twisted at the knee if you do.
Poor old Karl simply doesn't have it in him to go in two-footed, and now he's out for the season. It's a massive blow, but one that should now usher in the change of formation to 3-5-2. If we were struggling for natural width before Connolly's injury, our case is a desperate one now.
After the game, Tom Watt interviewed Holloway on London Live. When talking about QPR's days as a Premiership club, Holloway referred to us as "a delicious bar of chocolate that liked to lick itself". At least I wasn't the only one on a different wavelength then…
QPR: 4-4-2 – Digby 7 – Forbes 6 (57mins Doudou 7), Palmer 8, Shittu 7, Bignot 7 – Langley 7, Peacock 7, Rose 6, Griffiths 6 (57mins Pacquette 6) – Connolly 7 (78mins Bonnot), Gallen 7. SNU: Evans, Ben Askar.