February
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As Greavsie once said "It's a funny old game". Half time City were a goal down but it could have been 3 - 3 and at the end either side could have snatched it as the game finished in controversy.

The quality of football for long periods was poor and Q.P.R. came to Ninian Park with a plan of being tough aggressive and hoofing the long ball at every opportunity. It worked in the first half, City were intimidated and generally second to every challenge. No team could get a handle on the game and string more than a few passes together. It was City though that created the better openings. Andy Campbell missing two gilt edged chances and Josh Low seeing a volley deflected for a corner.

The Q.P.R goal came from a City attack, another massive hoof form the edge of the Q.P.R. box cleared City's back line and the lively Pacquett chased on and ran in unchallenged and put the ball past the flat footed Alexander with ease. Not sure what Scotland's number one was thinking as he stayed rooted to his line and made very little effort to narrow the angle.

Q.P.R could have scored a couple more with Pacquett again going close, a turn and shot narrowly missing the left hand post with a header narrowly missing the right hand post.

The teams went off to silence.

Just before half time Spencer Prior came on for the injured Rhys Weston and the first half ended after approx 51 mins as there was several stoppages, mainly for head injuries.

Lennie made a change at half time. Leo FW was brought on for Paul Brayson. In the first half the Rangers keeper Rhys Evans collected every cross into the box. Lennie thought that Leo would make it difficult for Evans and so it proved.

City's first real cross in the second half saw the goalkeeper stranded as Leo caused a nuisance of himself and after Thorne won the fist ball Scott Young raced in to head home the loose bouncing ball.

City were trying to push forward with Layton Maxwell getting more of the play but again we lacked quality. We tried hard, we competed more in that second half but we played pretty poor stuff at times. Rangers were breaking with speed but Prior and Gabbidon were defending well.

The game exploded late on when Paquett received a second yellow card and was sent off. Rangers boss Ian Holloway went ballistics and it was really kicking off around the dug outs. The referee sent Holloway from the dug out ad then soon after had to talk again to the Rangers bench as it appears a plastic bottle was thrown from the dug out. The police, who were separating the lower grandstand and the Rangers fans on the Grange End, had to move in to ensure the peace was kept between the rival dug outs.

City then should have won a penalty, Campbell was upended in the box but the referee only gave a free kick. TV replays show that Campbell was clearly at least 3 feet inside the penalty area. Andy Legg tamely placed the kick over the bar. Then on 90 mins Rangers broke again. Matthew Rose was clear, one on one with Alexander, this time the keeper did come out to close down and Rose scooped the ball over the bar.

So it finished 1 - 1. At the end a fair result but City fans will be disappointed about the way were bossed out of the game first half, disappointed because of the quality of the football at times.

I was hoping for a City win and poor results for Brighton and Stoke but I was wrong. Brighton, to their credit, put 4 past Wycombe and Stoke scored 3 away at Colchester. With a nine point deficit on second place and only 9 games to go it's now time to be realistic and aim for the play offs. If we had won and Brighton and Stoke had lost it would have been very different.

City stay 8th on 60 points, level with Huddersfield in 7th and only one point behind Oldham in 6th. Bristol City are 5th on 62 points with Brentford 4th on 65. Stoke stay third on 67 points with Brighton second on 69. Reading surprisingly held at home by Bournemouth are on 74 points.

Saturday is another must win game. 3 points could take us into the play off places and once there we must stay there.