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QPR 4 Saints 1 - Lancashire dismissed on debut as Saints crash

6:10pm Sunday 14th September 2008

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Dexter Blackstock scored twice against his former club as Coca-Cola Championship billionaires QPR eventually saw off cash-strapped Saints.

Blackstock, who left the south coast for west London two years ago, opened the scoring after just 40 seconds and took his tally for the season to five late in the second half.

Saints had been reduced to 10 men on the half hour when Ollie Lancashire, a 19-year-old defender making his first senior appearance, was sent off for a foul on Damien Delaney.

But they somehow got back on level terms after the break with a well-taken goal from midfielder Adam Lallana.

However, Damion Stewart fired Rangers back in front in controversial circumstances, with the centre-half appearing well offside as the ball came over to him, before Blackstock and Patrick Agyemang made the game safe.

Rangers may have just lost their tag as the world's richest club to Manchester City, but it did not stop them taking the lead against their lowly visitors before much of Loftus Road had taken their seats.

The Saints, forced these days to rely on youth, lined up with nine players aged 22 and under, and their inexperience was ruthlessly exposed straight from the kick-off.

Gavin Mahon sent a long throw into the area, Lancashire made a hash of his header and Blackstock was on hand to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.

Saints did attack sporadically in the first half, with Simon Gillett heading wide and Lallana forcing Radek Cerny into a scrambled save with a low drive.

But their task became far harder when Lancashire marked a debut to forget by lunging in on overlapping full-back Delaney, sending the Irishman sprawling and earning a straight red card from referee Kevin Friend.

Delaney forced a flying save from Davis with a long-range effort before the veteran goalkeeper pulled off a stunning point-blank stop to keep out Blackstock's header.

And Davis kept Saints in with a fighting chance when he tipped Blackstock's shot from Delaney's pull-back onto the post just before the break.

Those saves looked like they could prove crucial after the interval when Saints drew level with a goal straight from the Total Football mantra preached by their Dutch coach, Jan Poortvliet.

Morgan Schneiderlin collected the ball from keeper Davis and fed Lallana, who sauntered forward 40 yards before exchanging a one-two with Gillett and burying the return ball past Cerny.

However, Rangers hit back in the 63rd minute when club captain Martin Rowlands, on as a substitute moments earlier, floated in a free-kick which Stewart - who looked at least a yard offside - prodded in.

Agyemang and Mikele Leigertwood wasted decent chances before the third goal came in the 76th minute.

Agyemang burst through and Davis saved his effort but could do nothing to keep out Blackstock's follow-up.

Davis came up with another stunning save to keep out Agyemang and Delaney had a goal ruled out for a foul.

But Agyemang had the final say in stoppage time, racing through what remained of a weary Saints defence and clinically finishing past Davis.

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Your Say YourDaily Echo

Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter), says...
6:12pm Sun 14 Sep 08

The lads played well, but we can't go to the end of the season and say oh well we got releagted, but we did play well....

Why wasn't Perry in the starting lineup?

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AndyAndrews, West End says...
6:29pm Sun 14 Sep 08

If letting in four goals and getting a man (well, a boy) sent off is "playing well" I'd hate to see us play badly! Appalling result. Boys against men. Rupert's got what he deserved this season: we're in the relegation zone....

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Dazzler79, southampton says...
6:35pm Sun 14 Sep 08

A good passing performance that lacked the killer ball yet again.
We cant go on like this all season no way.
It looks like league 1 here we come i am afraid.
Thanks posh boy lowe!!

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Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter), says...
6:41pm Sun 14 Sep 08

AndyAndrews wrote:
If letting in four goals and getting a man (well, a boy) sent off is "playing well" I'd hate to see us play badly! Appalling result. Boys against men. Rupert's got what he deserved this season: we're in the relegation zone....
Yeah but I thought the manner in which we conceded 4 goals and had someone sent off was really good x x

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Gladbachsaint, Munster Germany says...
6:44pm Sun 14 Sep 08

As mad as it sounds after a 4-1 defeat i am proud of our young players. They played great football and although as an international official in another sport i am reluctant to point the finger at the ref and his assiatnt they were a joke and without doubt caused us more problems than QPR did. If i made decisions like they did i would give up.

Lancashire was late with his challenge but as Holloway said at half time he was 30 odd minutes in to his debut - their player wasn't denied a goal scring chance and he wasn't injured. We had 2 players taken off with injuries and Schneiderlin was hit just below the waist by a challenge which was worse than Lancashires yet he got a yellow and a ticking off. Then just to cap it off their second goal was about 5 yards offside. The final 10 minutes was as expected of a young side who had been down to 10 men for nearly an hour.

Lowe is a platinum w*nker but our lads deserve our support - if we want Lowe out we need to keep the pressure off the young lads.

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US Spitfire, Idaho USA says...
6:49pm Sun 14 Sep 08

You can sugar coat things anyway you want, but at the end of the day the simple truth is that Saints are just not good enough. Lowes gamble trying to clear the debts by the of hiring a foreign minor league coach and playing a bunch of kids is obviouslt flawed to say the least. On this form relegated is a certainty.

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Exile, Ipswich says...
6:52pm Sun 14 Sep 08

This cannot be allowed to carry on, the myth that we will survive playing a team of potentially talented (in most cases) young lads who are naive, inexperienced and physically not as strong/large as our opponents in a gruelling season in an unrelenting league is Lowe inspired nonsense.
We must have a mix of experience and youth, playing Cork and Lancashire (never played together at any significant level is ridiculous) - bad selection JP, Perry should have played. We have Thomas and Svensson injured now and no credible replacements. Same for Holmes I expect.Lancashire was sent off for a foul that showed his inexperience; the rest of the attack (excluding Lallana who is clearly very talented and capable)are too slight.
The weather will get worse, the pitches heavier and we will be swept away by more fearsome sides than QPR if we don't change course now. The trouble is that LOwe has forced the sale/loan of our more experienced players and we are left with the dross.
Listen Lowe, you will preside over another relegation in pursuing a bogus strategy in the interest of economy - you know the cost of evrything and the value of nothing! Relegation again will be far worse for the value of your precious shares than anything that has happened up to now.
It may already be too late but change course or go!

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Martin Orford, Bishops Waltham says...
6:52pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Looks like another of Rupert's little "experiments" has hit the buffers already. So can we please urgently get Billy Davies or Sam Allardyce in (as we should have done in the first place),borrow some agricultural thugs, and do some ugly hoofing instead of all this pretty passing stuff. Who cares about attractive football? Let's have a nasty physical team that wins more often than it loses, please.

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forcaster, spain says...
6:52pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Cannot understand Saints supporters derision of K.Davies in the past.Today he was awesome without him 8-1 to Q.P.R.I am not a Saints supporter,but have to say the youngsters played well and were not a disgrace to the club.BUT unless the club can find finance from somwhere I fear you are doomed to div.1.Sell Dyer and John also Wright-Phillips or a straight swap for a couple of matured players for your defence.Good luck.

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SimonSimple, Shirley says...
6:58pm Sun 14 Sep 08

We could have won the game if the ref and linesmen weren't so biased in favour of QPR.
One player sent off for just a mistimed tackle, a crucial goal given when their player was a yard offside and their player not sent off for a violent tackle on our player. All 3 events were worth 3 goals. Without them it would have been 1-1 and our youngsters could easily have scored a second. We seem to be jinxed or else there's some conspiracy to get us relegated.

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Denzil, Chilworth says...
7:01pm Sun 14 Sep 08

LOWE OUT

And take your dutch boyfriends with you.

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saint craig, coventry says...
7:07pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Its relegation battle just like last season We have some talented young players but we must have some old heads in the team I would say our best ever side was 1983-84 steve moran up front had worthington to help expierience with youth and all through the side a good mixture. Why perry didnt start and how stern john didnt get a game again is a mystery sterns goals saved us last season so why is he so far down the pecking order ? I said that as soon as lowe came back we were doomed the dutch guys are not in tune with whats needed in the ccc at times today we were over run by men with boys chasing, without davis it could have been 7 hope jp mixes it up now time for john up front perry to start ps anybody think gillet is worth his place

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Lowes Nemisis, Southampton says...
7:20pm Sun 14 Sep 08

The sad thing in all of this is that through a Chairmans megalomania, we are probably ruining many kids careers before they have been given a chance to develop.

If Lowe and Wilde truly believe that this experiment is going to bear fruit then what a sadly deluded pair of fools we have in charge.

Shame on the both of them


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UTS, says...
7:28pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Two home games and we need a minimum of 4 points or its going to be a relegation battle all season.

What was Lowe doing on the pitch before the match ?

Interfering megalomaniac that has destroyed this club. All Wilde and Lowe are spin with no substance.


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Matthew Allen, Radlett says...
7:29pm Sun 14 Sep 08

We need to start picking up some results, I fear our chances against Ipswich on Tuesday (the only thing in our favour is that they do not pick up results away, but many teams seem to sort out their failings against us (Blackpool)). If we are not careful the confidence will be sucked out of these young players.

Like it or not, we are already in the bottom fighting for our futures. We need to bring in some of the experience to get our tails up.

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moe, Soton says...
7:51pm Sun 14 Sep 08

The two young guys in the middle of defensive was an obvious mistake, it only took the first minute of the game to realise that. Once Wotton went back there, the shape, communication and physical (without diving in!) aspect was there to be seen.

To be fair to Saints, they got themselves back into the game (with a man down) with 30 minutes to play and it could have gone either way at that stage. Once they conceded that very dodgy second goal (shocking call by the linesman), they began chasing the game with nothing to lose and the floodgates opened.

Learn from todays mistakes, note the positives and start planning for Wednesday.




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St.Yorkie, Pocklington says...
8:15pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Well I watched the game and at HT I thought we would crumble. However all respect to the lads they passed and pushed and scored a very good equlaiser.

Sure their second was offside - but even so we chased the game until the 94th minute.

I liked what I saw - the team play football and run their hearts out. Unlike the teams of the last 2-seasons.

Be patient and it will click. We look woefully short (literally) of ideas sometimes, and try passing once too often. If only we could defend!

Dyer is a waste of space - but respect to Jan the Man for bringing himon when he couod have brought on another defender.

I reiterate I like what I am watching - but we need the rub of the green and some steel in the back four.

It's going to be a long hard season - but if we can survive this year, next seasn we will be stronger and more experienced!

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Patron, Soton says...
8:20pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Alot of people last season were saying play the youngsters and get rid of the over-paid journeymen I agree we need experience in as well. We got what we wanted support the club to the hilt or we are in the ****.

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UTS, says...
8:30pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Patron wrote:
Alot of people last season were saying play the youngsters and get rid of the over-paid journeymen I agree we need experience in as well. We got what we wanted support the club to the hilt or we are in the ****.
Well i never got what i wanted.

I dare say many will join me in wanting Pearson with a blend of youth and experience via loans.

Michael JUDAS Wilde has a lot to answer for as he hides in Jersey.


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Patron, Soton says...
8:51pm Sun 14 Sep 08

I wanted Pearson to stay but for whatever reasons he did not (money) but you can not deny that supporters wanted the youngsters to play.

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Condor Man, Southampton says...
9:25pm Sun 14 Sep 08

You can't start talking about relegation after only 5 matches- considering we've played good sides like Cardiff, Birminghama and QPR and only today were played off the park after losing Lancashire.

I'd like to see Perry play with Cork at the back, Wotton to replace Gillett in the middle and someone other than McGoldrick to play up front. It's going to be a tough 2 matches coming up at SMS this week.

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TottonScrutineer, Totton says...
10:57pm Sun 14 Sep 08

Never saw the game so can't comment on the way we played.I always have thought the team would not show it's true colours until the second half of the season.We do need experience in the team but we must give the yougsters thier heads for a while the put Skacel and Euell in to help out Support the lads win or lose ....let's hope we can see a few wins to support!!! Rupert is in danger of getting the Golden Boot from the fans if we fail but we must give the lads our support and see what happens!!!!

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US Spitfire, Idaho USA says...
4:47am Mon 15 Sep 08

Can someone get Mike Ashley to have a word with Lowe & Wilde. One demo by Newcastle fans and he gets the message and sends his people out to find a buyer:-)
http://www.independe
nt.co.uk/sport/footb
all/news-and-comment
/ashley-bows-to-fan-
pressure-and-puts-ne
wcastle-up-for-sale-
930921.html

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AndyAndrews, West End says...
8:03am Mon 15 Sep 08

I see that Newcastle fans got rid of Ashley through adopting tactics I have often recommended for Saints: hit Lowe in the pocket by boycotting St Marys and especially all his overpriced food and drink, shirts and other souvenir tat.

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Court Jester Crew, Southampton says...
9:28am Mon 15 Sep 08

Saw the game however missed the firat goal. The replay showed our defence to be woefully inadequate and as another post on here said once Wotton played in the middle of defence we were better. Saints then produced some good football which eventually led to our goal. Saints deserved that especially after the loss of Lancashire for a bad but not sinister tackle. Jan should make his young stars watch how they built up to their only goal. It was quick and decisive. QPR's inadequacies were easy to see. Then Saints conceded the second goal offside as it was it made a hell of a difference QPR were on top goals do that give you confidence.
The goals after were made only because QPR were in the driving position and Davis's performance in goal for Saints was fantastic.
I think we have to accept that this Saints team will have games like this but I'm sure as other posts have said we can pull it round and have a safe secure position in this league. Perhaps next year is a better bet to look for promotion. Lets hope we have a better game against Ipswich and Barnsley. Keep supporting the only team THE SAINTS we will win through. COYR

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Iain, Lordshill says...
11:06am Mon 15 Sep 08

Bit of a good, bad and ugly day there.

Good was the goal, which wouldn't have disgraced an international team; Kelvin Davis, who astounded his many critics; the team attitude, which was always keen to attack, even when a man down.

Bad was the defending for the first goal, which would have disgraced an under-8 team; the decision to leave Perry on the bench (why? No-one in the pub could come up with an explanation); the refereeing, which didn't manage to spot a man who was so offside that he was almost in a different time zone.

The ugly was Lancashire's foul, which didn't look too bad at first but did deserve a red; and Iain Dowie, obviously

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Lehman Bros Banker, Docklands says...
11:10am Mon 15 Sep 08

Dear Rupert,
Sorry old boy but things have just gone from bad to worse, and there's not a prayer that we can help re-finance your debts. We're up Wall Street without a paddle! Mind you, had we employed your business model and put all the office juniors with bags of enthusiasm and no experience in charge we would have ceased trading last year.

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london saint, london says...
11:15am Mon 15 Sep 08

i was at the game yesterday and i think all the posters that are being negative are complete nobs. Yes we lost four-one but what do you expect after playing for the majority of the game with ten men. Which by the way was never a sending off. Obviously it was going to be tought from then on. We totally outplayed QPR for large periods but I am in agreement that we lack a killer touch sometimes. It was getting so one sided at times that the QPR fans near me were getting irate. Through work i was in the directors box and eaves dropped into Chris Coleman and Jim Magilton saying how impressed they were by our quality. I feel proud of the boys. We were simply unlucky i.e. the sending off and offside second goal. carry on moaning if you want but it wont do any good. support the lads and we will be fine come the end of the season.

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Costa Baz, Southampton says...
1:37pm Mon 15 Sep 08

london saint wrote:
i was at the game yesterday and i think all the posters that are being negative are complete nobs. Yes we lost four-one but what do you expect after playing for the majority of the game with ten men. Which by the way was never a sending off. Obviously it was going to be tought from then on. We totally outplayed QPR for large periods but I am in agreement that we lack a killer touch sometimes. It was getting so one sided at times that the QPR fans near me were getting irate. Through work i was in the directors box and eaves dropped into Chris Coleman and Jim Magilton saying how impressed they were by our quality. I feel proud of the boys. We were simply unlucky i.e. the sending off and offside second goal. carry on moaning if you want but it wont do any good. support the lads and we will be fine come the end of the season.
Let's deal with the sending off first. Deserved a red card? Yes. Why? Not because it was a late tackle but because his left leg followed through in a scissor action that could easily have broken Delaney's leg. I agree with you where you say how well we played, moving the ball around with ease IN OUR OWN HALF and I could also hear the QPR fans getting restless as a result of the passing & moving. Bottom line is, when we got into their half they just sat back & waited for the loose pass before causing us problems with more direct football, including many balls over the centre backs bring Davis out of his box to clear. Without Davis we would have been whipped. That is not a negative comment but a statement of fact. I am pleased you heard CC & JM praising our team, they deserved it for their skill & commitment, but I'm sure, had you listened closer, that you would probably of heard them say how easy we are to beat by just sitting deep & asking us to breakdown a packed defence, then hitting us on the break. Kind of like how Blackpool & QPR did, and as almost every other team we play will do, now we have been exposed on the box as lightweight & lacking the experience to breakdown packed defences. Potentially we have some very good players but they have been let down by the policy of NOT using more experienced players, even when they have been available, to guide them through matches.
You'll probably think I'm being negative because I don't agree with all you say, but I have never worn rose coloured glasses. If they play well, I say so. If they don't play well then I say that too & will not pretend that everything is ok.
If you tell the kids everything about their play is ok & that they were unlucky, then they will have no reason to change the bad things in their game.

What has happened to ALL those "true fans" that used to post on here saying that playing the kids was the best strategy & that we should all support them? I am supporting them despite thinking the plan is flawed, yet the silence from you lot us deafening. You know who you are, so get posting in support of the youngsters.

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london saint, london says...
4:13pm Mon 15 Sep 08

costa baz - you make some valid points and i havent seen the tackle close up yet. What upsets me links in with you last point. Clearly this season is somewhat of a gamble but do we really have any choice? Financially we are a mess and surely playing youngsters is the way forward. Watching saints yesterday made me so proud because these players are giving their all and were devastated after the game. The referee was poor and let a lot of over the top tackles from QPR go i.e. when holmes and James got clattered near the touchline. We were hard done by all game but it isnt a valid excuse. Adam Lallana was excellent and i really do not want january to come as im positive the vultures will come a knocking. He was awesome yesterday, took his goal brilliantly and never stopped right until my death. Keep the faith.

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Costa Baz, Southampton says...
4:47pm Mon 15 Sep 08

london saint, I know we have financial problems and call me a cynic, but I just do not trust the people who run the club to tell us the whole truth as it is. We are being asked to take, at face value, that every cost cutting exercise they undertake is necessary to keep the club solvent, so it will be interesting to see the accounts next year to see if they HAVE been totally honest with us. My main beef is that too much is being asked of the youngsters and I have been pleasantly surprised at just how much quality we have. I am now fearful that they will be ruined by being played too often, too soon, making them lose form and heart in the future. You have every right to feel proud of the way they played football, at QPR, as I was.
I watched the game in a bar, with a Geordie friend & he could see the way we played the ball around, but he could also see we couldn't defend or score goals.
Be fearful in January because that may well be the first test of Ruperts resolve to succeed with a young team. Lallana could well be the next Theo, in terms of being sold off to generate income.

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