There was a return from injury for Scott Young, who played the full 90 mins and for Layton Maxwell and Lee Fowler who both came on a subs. Maxwell for Whalley at half time and Fowler for Hamilton on 60 mins.
Report from Paul Evans.
Todays game was actually pretty good, certainly the best one I have seen this season. QPR fielded a strong side with people like Forbes, Bean, Rose, Plummer, Oli, Pacquette and Angel all having first team experience, while the City players, perhaps sensing there are first team places up for grabs, put something into the game with the result that the crowd had a competitive match to watch.
Andy Campbell got both goals - the first with a cool lob over the keeper. Brett Angell then got an equaliser when the City defence parted down the middle ebnabling the veteran to score, but, shortly afterwards, Campbell got the winner with a tap in after some unselfish work by Gavin Gordon.
Apparently Campbell didn't do badly last night and, if he could be guaranteed to show the same appetite as when he first came here, I would give some thought to picking him in place of Earnie on Saturday - I say this only because Earnie looks absolutely shattered to me and may benefit from a rest for a game or two - he could then be brought back fairly fresh for the play offs, (assuming we get to them that is!).
Others who quite impressed me were Scott Young back after his injury, Steve Jenkins and Lee Fowler who showed a nice range of passing when he came on for Des Hamilton while Gareth Whalley went off at half time (a sign he'll be in from the start on Saturday?) and was replaced by Layton Maxwell who, you will be pleased to know, has bleached his hair. Young keeper Arran Lee Barrett made a vital last minute save to help City clinch their win and made a better save from a header in the first half, but he needs to work on his kicking as, just as in the first game I saw him play, it wasn't that good.
One final thing, it was odd to go to a reserve match which had some away fans in the crowd! There were about five or six QPR fans there and they made a lot of noise when their team equalised - I got talking to one of them in the bar at half time and was surprised to discover that he had a broad Welsh accent and was from somewhere West of Swansea, his excuse was that his dad was from London and had always supported Rangers, so I suppose that lets him off! I told him that I thought his team had a good chance in the play offs and he replied that he thought we could still go up automatically - to be honest, I think he was humouring me.