Rangers rip tide causes double dip in Brentford’s blip

A rip tide is a strong and localised narrow current of water which occurs nearer to home than others.

No meteorological analogy seems to sum up events at Loftus Road better after a Rangers rip involving two goals inside four minutes secured them their fifth win in six games.

The long and the short of it was Charlie Austin’s 48th goal for QPR in his 88th match for the White City club, and Sam Field’s first, in his first.

It all seemed so unlikely as ultra smooth Brentford dominated the first half, passed with precision and took a deserved lead through the effervescent Ivan Toney.

Bees were Perhaps stung by Thomas Frank’s words and their own professional pride after the loss to Barnsley which ended a long unbeaten run of over 20 games.

The old ‘game of two halves cliché’ would be more apt if QPR had not finished the first 45 with a bright spell, that culminated in Bees keeper David Raya denying Yoann Barbet with his legs.

Yet, there was no sign of the Rangers roar to come after the break, despite Raya denying Barbet once more too after.

Mark Warburton’s half time words had changed the game’s trajectory but his next move changed the game. He introduced debutant Sam Field in the 55th minute and it was the Stourbridge midfielder whose quality finishing changed the game.

Up until the 72nd minute, both sides’ finishing had been wayward. When the ball fell to the 22-year-old just 17 minutes into his QPR career, he drilled it beyond a crowd of players with clinical excellence.

Austin, a man with many more Hoops hours, had as much fortune as Field had shown skill. His hopeful drive four minutes later received a cruel deflection which left Raya diving the wrong way.

There was no way back for Brentford and the game, well refereed by Gavin Ward, had been turned in those four crucial minutes.

QPR stand 16th in the League and with 13 point deficit to 6th placed Bournemouth probably leaves them too distant to make a later run for the playoffs.

More importantly, Brentford now trail leaders Norwich by four points.

Their automatic promotion place is now in severe peril with Swansea only one point behind with two games in hand. Inform Watford are just three points behind.

The Bees have Coventry and Sheffield Wednesday next. Both lie in the bottom half and both of whom they have already beaten. Swansea have Huddersfield. Coventry and Bristol City in that time.

It looks like a nervy ending to the season for Brentford fans, another battle in playoffs could be on the cards unless they can make their superiority pay better dividends than they did in the first half at Loftus Road.

 

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