Bees Sting Rangers in Carabao Cup

Words | Tom Caldon
Queens Park Rangers 1 - 4 Brentford
Furlong 43'                                                                         Borysiuk (og) 10', Egan 19'
                                                                                           Maupay 32', Clarke 83'   

  Carabao Cup  Second Round | Tuesday 22nd August 2017


Photo content belongs to Queens Park Rangers Football Club



 

There's something disconcerting about League Cup football. Interpreting the strength of line-ups in a competition which many managers and boardrooms consider antiquated can be problematic. The financial incentives for clubs to progress are insignificant in comparison with potential FA Cup revenue or the windfall that follows promotion to the Premier League. The manner in which some clubs conceal their lack of League Cup ambition from supporters never feels quite right and highlights the avaricious direction in which the game continues to move.

However, admission prices of ten pounds for an adult and five pounds for a youth ticket at Loftus Road represented excellent value in an historic West London fixture which was recently revived after an eleven-year hiatus, following QPR's return to the Championship in 2015/16.

Far more disturbing than any sense of injustice on the terraces is the scolded silhouette of Grenfell Towers which continues to line the London sky. The reality is harrowing. In the concourse beneath the School End, the breezeblocks are plastered with posters which advertise the forthcoming Game 4 Grenfell to be hosted by Rangers. The proceeds from a game featuring celebrities and retired footballers will be donated to the London Community Foundation in support of families who continue to suffer after the June disaster. 

In a summer when transfer fees have risen astronomically and the relationship between club and supporter seems ever more tenuous, these posters are a timely reminder of football's inherent value; uniting communities through the competitive spirit, cultivating a kind of regional and national pride which transcends politics, and providing a form of escapism in which the masses can invest wholeheartedly.

While Brentford manager Dean Smith selected a side which combined first-teamers with fringe players, only Alex Baptiste remained from the QPR team that defeated Hull City in The Championship three days before. From the first whistle the dichotomy between the cohesive team in stripes and the strangers in hoops was evident.

After ten minutes Jozefzoon deftly poked past the sliding Steven Caulker and sprinted down the right flank. Upon reaching the by-line, the Dutchman fired a low cross towards Neal Maupay. Before it could reach the intended target, Ariel Borysiuk lunged to divert the ball beyond his own keeper and into the bottom right corner.

The consummate pace and dribbling skills of Clarke and Jozefzoon continued to stretch the home defence. The visitors' incisive passing was unstoppable. The pedestrian play and lack of understanding among the home players only made matters worse, culminating in Caulker's incompetent pass towards Alex Baptiste. After intercepting, Maupay fed Clarke whose near post attempt was smartly turned behind by Ingram. Boos echoed from the Ellerslie Road Stand.

Within nine minutes of Brentford's opener, the Bees doubled their lead. Jozefzoon's deep corner was met at the back post by Andreas Bjelland. The Dane's astute header across the box to John Egan was nodded past the helpless Matt Ingram and into the bottom right corner. Egan wheeled away in ecstasy to the dismay of those behind Ingram's goal.

Only thirty-two minutes had elapsed when Brentford raced into a three goal lead. Romaine Sawyers lobbed a pass over the Rangers defence with the outside of his right boot. Maupay sprinted past Baptiste on the edge of the area and fired with his weaker left foot past the motionless Ingram and into the roof of the net, sparking pandemonium in both tiers of the School End.

Even as an objective viewer, it was difficult not to feel some sense of pleasure watching The Hoops - who have been reckless with their abundant wealth in recent seasons - being torn apart by The Bees, whose rank and fortunes have always been comparatively modest. "The Championship is upside down" came the chant from the two thousand travelling fans whose team currently occupy the relegation zone.

From South Africa Road, QPR's home of 100 seasons looks unremarkable. The surrounding tower blocks rise above its monolithic exterior. Once inside however, at the first sign of a Rangers response, an overbearing roar rolls from the half full home sections of Loftus Road, bringing it to life. Its stands encroach and envelop; each a relic from a bygone era.

First, Ryan Manning's long-range effort was clumsily spilled by Luke Daniels. Idrissa Sylla latched onto the loose ball only to have his legs swept away by the diving Daniels. Referee Christopher Sarginson dubiously waved away the penalty claims. The former Scunthorpe keeper's indecision epitomised the ease at which a stopper who is seldom selected can develop ring rust.

Two minutes before half-time, Yeni Ngbakoto crossed invitingly from the right. Darnell Furlong arrived to score a bullet header which his father Paul, who netted fifty-eight times for Rangers, would have been proud to convert. From six-yards the full-back directed the ball past the outstretched right arm of Daniels and into the net. The hosts had momentum.

After the interval, Holloway introduced Luke Freeman, whose probing runs troubled the visitors until Nico Yennaris man-marked the ex-Stevenage midfielder and patrolled the back four. Next, Matt Smith was thrown on to provide a target for QPR's direct passing. His movement towards the petite full-back Ilias Chatzitheodoridis ensured that Smith could regularly head towards goal. Despite the aerial bombardment and a couple of scrambles, the visitors stood firm.

As the Rs flooded forward in desperation, gaps started to appear at the rear. With eighty-two minutes on the clock, substitute Justin Shaibu fed the marauding Clarke. With plenty of time and ample room, Clarke glided through the penalty area and slotted past Ingram into the bottom left corner. Brentford had only secured a place in the third round of the Carabao Cup, but it meant something more.

Fifty years on from QPR chairman Jim Gregory's failed attempts to agree a deal with Brentford owner Jack Dunnett, in which the Hoops would play their home games at Griffin Park and the Bees would cease to exist, Brentford's demolition of their neighbours in Shepherd's Bush felt poignant. A symbol of how far they have come.

The travelling fans' revelry during the final ten minutes seemed to be not only inspired by League Cup victory, rather it was a suspended celebration of the players and supporters who fifty years earlier walked from Brighton to Brentford to raise funds; the people who fiercely protested and saved their football club.

 

Teams (Player Ratings in Bold)
Queens Park Rangers
Ingram - 6, Furlong - 7, Manning - 6, (Freeman 51' - 7), Caulker - 5, (Smith 75' - 6), Baptiste - 6, Borysiuk - 5.5, N'Gbakoto - 6.5, Wszolek - 6, (Mackie 69' - 6), Robinson - 5, Sylla - 6, Chair - 5

Brentford

Daniels - 6, Colin - 7, Bjelland - 7, Jozefzoon - 8.5, Yennaris - 7, Mokotjo - 6.5, (Woods 69' - 6), Egan - 7.5, Sawyers - 8.5, Clarke - 9, Maupay - 8.5, (Shaibu 69' - 7), Chatzitheodoridis  - 8, (Dalsgaard 77' - 6)

Referee: Christopher Sarginson
Attendance: 9,719 (2,218 Away)