from our friendly local PAPER

Howard's chip with everything seals it


WALKABOUT QPR keeper Simon Royce didn't see it coming.
Why would he?



Brian Howard's goal was a gem in a heap of dross, as expected as Southend's win at Birmingham, as likely as novice women's sumo wrestling on the telly.
Make it up and no-one would believe you.
Twenty yards out, 90 minutes into the game, Barnsley's Howard had a touch of the Wayne Rooneys.
Royce was off his line, like David James was off his in Saturday's Man U-Portsmouth FA Cup tie. A measured chip, a classic goal.
Royce was in the perfect place to watch and admire, take a picture even. Almost anything but make a save.
He wasn't the only one wondering where it came from. Count another 9,800 of us in on that.
Barnsley toughed out a win, didn't really deserve this gloss finish.
Howard knew it. "I don't think it was the best of games and it needed something like that to liven it up a bit," he understated.
But hey, who cares? Two-nil on the night and in the cold light of today Barnsley are out of the bottom three mire again.
QPR cannot say the same and have the brown stuff all over their boots.
Marc Richards got the first goal in time added onto the first half. His was worthy, workman-like.
Howard's was class.
The modest midfielder, who tops the Barnsley scoring charts with eight in the league, shared the credit about. "It was a little Wayne Rooney-esk but I wouldn't put myself in that class. He's one of the best players in the world but I did watch him do that on Saturday night," Howard explained.
"On Sunday morning we were training and I did Dave Lucas (the reserve keeper) exactly the same way. In the warm up for the game I did him again but it hit the bottom of the bar and he said, 'do it in a game' sort of thing and we had a bit of banter.
"Kelham O'Hanlon the first team coach said 'why don't you give it a go, their keeper's only short and he comes a bit off his line.'
"The whole game I was looking for it, I had a couple of shots. I thought in the last minute if it goes wide, it goes wide, let's do it and it went in."
The first half had been edgy and largely eventless.
It wasn't until time added before the break that anything happened.
Bobby Hassell's diagonal ball from the right landed just perfect for Marc Richards. One touch to control from six yards out, the second touch was a careful prod beyond keeper Simon Royce.
It was Richards' sixth for the club and the striker who was offered to Port Vale a couple of weeks ago and for some reason barely celebrated it.
The goal was a blow to the guts for QPR. They were closing out the 45 minutes on top. Could have had a penalty for a shove in the area on Dexter Blackstock.
In the next second to that Antony Kay blocked a stinging, thump from Jimmy Smith's right boot. Barnsley bloke Kay took that one smack in the kisser, went down, got up and chucked himself at the next one.
Barnsley had been decent for the early moments without really testing the keeper.
QPR's Damion Stewart did well in both boxes defending deep to block a couple of Martin Devaney centres.
Before the first goal Barnsley forced only one serious save from Royce. Howard played in Richards, Royce stood up well to the shot. Didn't have to as an offside flag waved for QPR.
The second half was one way QPR traffic for 20 minutes or so. Barnsley defended decently and when they did not, Adam Eckersley more often than not dug them out of deep trouble.
Lee Cook for the Londoners was running an impressive show on the left. He did everything well except find a pass to by-pass Eckersley. And when his freekick landed on Blackstock's head the goal attempt was straight at keeper 'keeper Nick Colgan.
QPR appealed for a penalty from another Cook feed in. A hand went up but ref Carl Boyeson was consistent. He gave Rangers nothing all night.

 

Sums it up. nt

 

ref Carl Boyeson was consistent. He gave Rangers nothing all night. WHAT!

He let them get away with murder - I saw three two footed tackles which would have been leg breakers had they connected.</p>

 

RE: ref Carl Boyeson was consistent. He gave Rangers nothing all night. WHAT!

The ref defo favoured QPR

 

RE: ref Carl Boyeson was consistent. He gave Rangers nothing all night. WHAT!

Strange indeed

He was, rightly, giving them free kicks for our players pushing them....then in the 2nd half, exactly the same thing the other way and we got nowt, including a blatent push in the penalty area.