What a relief that our final game of the season was a dead rubber. Had we lost against Leeds, we would have needed a point today to beat Birmingham, given that the Blues beat Norwich 1-0. A loss and we would be level on 50 points each and without the four goals against Leeds they would have beat us on goal difference. But happily nothing was riding on it, so Charlie and I could relax and enjoy it – and enjoy it we did, given that we picked up another three points.
Martí Cifuentes made four changes to the team he fielded against Leeds, replacing Asmir Begovic with Joe Walsh, Jake Clarke-Salter with Morgan Fox, Jimmy Dunn with Reggie Cannon and Sam Field with Elijah Dixon-Bonner. That meant we lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation as follows: Walsh in goal, Cannon, Steve Cook, Fox and Kenneth Paal in the back line; Isaac Hayden and Dixon-Bonner in front of them; Ilias Chair, Chris Willock and Lucas Andersen as the attacking trio; and Lyndon Dykes up front.
We started poorly, letting them control the game for at least the first 20 minutes. We were second best all over the pitch, losing duels, misplacing passes and giving the ball back to them whenever we won possession. The Sky Blues came close to scoring in the third minute, when a sloppy pass from Fox to our keeper was almost intercepted, and they would have scored in the 10th minute if Walsh hadn’t made a good save. In fact, our reserve keeper had an excellent game and if this was an audition to be Cifuentes’s first choice next season he passed with flying colours. Throughout, he was a safer pair of hands than Begovic and his distribution was better too.
Because nothing was riding on the outcome of the game, our poor performance did nothing to dampen the spirits of QPR’s visiting fans, who were in a celebratory mood, releasing hundreds of blue and white balloons before kick off. Charlie and I were guests of John Reid, the founder of Clean Up Britain, so weren’t in the away end, but even from our vantage point on the halfway line we could see plenty of Martí masks. I also spotted at least one Spanish flag. Few R’s supporters are in any doubt about who the hero of our season is.
The first signs of life didn’t appear until the 29th minute, when we put together a half-decent attack. But our first goal, when it came four minutes later, was still against the run of play. It started with Dixon-Bonner running with the ball on the left-hand side, then passing to Chair. The little Moroccan did what he usually does when he collects the ball in space on the left-hand side and cut in to his right, trying to create enough space to get off a shot. He was so far out, that seemed like a wasted opportunity and just moments before he pulled the trigger Charlie said, “Don’t shoot you greedy c***.” But shoot he did and the ball curled beautifully into the right-hand side of the goal. Brad Collins, the Coventry keeper, clearly hadn’t expected him to score any more than we had and remained rooted to the spot as the ball sailed past him. It was a carbon copy of the Moroccan international’s goal against Leeds eight days earlier and takes his total to seven, making him our top scorer for the season. Couldn’t be happier for him.
As far as the hosts were concerned, this was just a blip and they continued to press for a goal, winning a free kick in a dangerous area three minutes later. Happily, Milan van Ewijk struck it straight into the wall and nothing came from the resulting corner. Shortly afterwards, van Ewijk had a free header just yards from goal but Walsh made a fine save.
We then went and scored a second! And from a set piece to boot! Is this QPR I’m watching?
Willock won a free kick in the attacking half, Andersen took it and Fox somehow managed to bundle it in. Watching it back on Sky Sports, Collins could have done better – and that was the difference between the two teams. The Sky Blues created more chances than us in the first half, with 10 shots in total and an xG of 0.58 to our 0.42. But we managed to take our chances because their keeper wasn’t at the races, whereas ours most definitely was.
That meant we went in at half time two goals to the good and at that stage were 17th in the table, level on points with Stoke but beating them on goal difference. Dreamland compared to where I and everyone else expected us to end up at the beginning of the season.
The hosts clearly got a bollocking from Mark Robins during the break because they came out full of venom, seemingly determined to turn things around. But after an initial burst of energy, they posed little threat and for much of the second half the now delirious visiting fans were olé-ing as the R’s pinged the ball around the pitch.
Lyndon snatched at a chance in the 50th minute, but was denied by a defender, while Ellis Simms got off a decent strike three minutes later that brought another good save from Walsh. The closest the hosts came in this period was when Cannon, who was a poor substitute for Dunne, tried to head the ball away from danger in the 56th minute and instead almost scored. Thankfully, Walsh was alive to the danger.
Cifuentes felt confident enough to make three substitutions in the 62nd minute, bringing off Andersen, Willock and Hayden and replacing them with Albert Adomah, Sam Field and Jack Colback. Cue the away fans chanting Adomah’s name for what will be the 36 year-old’s last game in a QPR shirt.
Chair almost scored again in the 72nd minute, trying to curl one in from 30 yards, just as he’d done in the first half, only this time he hit the post. Meanwhile, the hosts had a great chance a few minutes later, which Haji Wright should have converted.
Sinclair Armstrong came on for Dixon-Bonner in the 80th minute and three minutes later the hosts scored. Cannon was beaten by Wright, who managed to put it on a plate for Jamie Allen who then scored with a simple downward header. Nothing Walsh could have done about it.
I had put £25 on QPR to win at 2-1 before the game started and was tempted to cash out at this point, given that Coventry came back from three-nil down against Man United in the FA Cup semi-final a couple of weeks ago. But I kept my nerve and we managed to see the game out, including four minutes of added time.
When the final whistle blew, Cifuentes joined the players to celebrate in front of the visiting fans and was clearly enjoying himself. In the end we finished 18th (with Birmingham relegated), which is still absolutely fucking miraculous given that we were 23rd when Marté took over in September and six points from safety. Let’s hope the little Spanish magician sticks around for another season. If he does, given what he’s achieved in the past six months, the sky’s the limit.
Loved the Substack. What a season! Marti worked a miracle. Nice to watch as well. Yeah, now to go far further. We can win!!!!