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QPR 2 Cardiff City 1 26th Sept 2001 QPR's functional, but characterless ground, Loftus Road. What started as a whisper back in August is rapidly becoming an unstoppable roar, shouted with one voice after yet another disappointing 90 minutes from a tactically inept City: "Corkie out!" We've got the players, we've got the support and we've got big plans, but if we continue to throw away games like this so easily, Cork surely can't be a part of City's future. A huge 2,000+ City contigent descended upon West London, conveniently guided to the ground by the police helicoprter, hovering expensively overrhead. Once again, City fans found themselves facing poor stewarding, who seemed overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Those arriving with advance tickets were told to 'find a seat anywhere you can - it's packed in there' and, once again, safety walkways were blocked due to over crowding. Kavanagh converts City's 37th minute penalty City started brightly in the first half, and although we never looked anything more than half-hearted, we were good enough to dominate against a unsettled QPR. Neither team looked like clubs heading up out of the division, although when Kavanagh converted a 37th minute penalty after Peter Thorne was felled by QPR keeper Chris Day, it seemed a fair reflection on the run of play. Incredibly, QPR fans were completely silent for the entire duration of first half. Rarely have I heard such a silent home crowd, completely outsung throughout the game by the thumping cacophony booming from City's two tier stand. City come close in the dying minutes. But not close enough. Sadly, recently-acquired bad habits returned in the second half, with a shapeless, unconvincing Cardiff regularly losing possession and remaining Without A Clue for large chunks of the game. QPR introduced a wideman who started to tear through our defence and Cork's response was.... to do nothing. QPR gratefully took advantage of our tactical ineptness, slamming home a 55th minute penalty equaliser after Simpkins was harshly ruled to have tripped Thomson, who scored from the spot kick. Six minutes later, Christer Warren cut through our increasingly chaotic defence and delivered a perfect ball to Thomson who curled it round goalie Neil Alexander. Another game lost, another wasted opportunity and surely the start of Cork's demise. At the least the industrial-strength, post-match drinking in Shepherd's Bush provided some value for money. Other reports: CardiffCity.com BBC

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