QPR 4 Port Vale 0

Last updated : 15 February 2003 By Footymad Previewer

QPR kept up their push for a play-off place at the expense of a hapless Port Vale side.

There was no sign of the team who hit five past Chesterfield in midweek, and after a blank first half it was only a matter of time before Rangers opened their account.

Danny Shittu bundled the ball home from a corner, but the turning point came when Steve Rowland and keeper Mark Goodlad collided trying to deal with a Richard Langley cross. It left Paul Furlong with the simplest task of his 16-year career to put Rangers two up.

As early as the seventh minute the home side caused havoc. When a corner into the box was not cleared, Vale were relieved to hear the referee whistle's for a foul by Shittu.

Five minutes later Furlong just missed with an overhead kick and Leroy Griffiths hammered a 15-yard effort that brought a solid two-fisted punch away from Goodlad.

The keeper needed to be alert to hang on to a seven-yard Kevin Gallen header after the ball was allowed to bounce all the way through to a Rangers player from a throw in.

Four minutes after the break Griffiths went agonisingly close with another header before Marcus Bean evaded two tackles to bring a half save from Goodlad. Vale were not let off the hook though as Shittu scored from the resulting corner.

QPR piled on the pressure and Langley's near post centre invited a diving header from Bean only for the overworked Goodlad to parry the ball around the post.

Vale's only effort of any consequence in the 90 minutes was a fizzing shot from Mark Boyd which Nicky Culkin dealt with down to his left.

However any hopes of a comeback were buried when Gino Padula played a one-two with Griffiths and strode on to tuck the ball home.

With time running out substitute Ebeu Mbombo Doudou clipped a pass inside to Gallen who rounded off Rangers' emphatic win when he fired past the keeper from 15 yards.