2000
 
Saturday, 23 September 2000
Football League Division 1
Loftus Road
Attendance: 11,720
Ref: Paul Danson
 
Queens Park Rangers
Stuart Wardley, Peter Crouch
2 (0) - (0) 1
Wimbledon
Jason Euell
13
Lee Harper
2
Tim Breacker
24
Mark Perry
18
Clark Carlisle
4
Steve Morrow
22
Jermaine Darlington
Subbed 46m
16
Keith Rownland
Subbed 42m
21
Richard Langley
27
Stuart Wardley
Goal 54m
28
Peter Crouch
Goal 65m Subbed 90m
11
Chris Kiwomya
Yellow 78m
--
15
George Kulcsar
Sub (28 90m)28
1
Ludo Miklosko
31
Sammy Koejoe
Sub (16 42m)16
19
Christer Warren
Sub (22 46m)22
10
Karl Connolly

Injury-hit QPR grabbed their first victory in seven matches as their London derby clash with Wimbledon burst into life in the second half at Loftus Road.

A dull and disappointing first 45 minutes was long forgotten as Rangers stormed forward after the break to grab two goals in 11 minutes.

On 54 minutes they snatched the lead with a beautifully worked goal. Substitute Sammy Koejoe nodded on to Chris Kiwomya on the left and he expertly cut in before delivering a teasing cross to the far post, where Stuart Wardley was able to head home his first goal of the season.

Wimbledon flew forward and forced three consecutive corners as they hunted for the equaliser, but on 65 minutes they found themselves further behind to an almost carbon copy goal.

This time Richard Langley combined with Kiwomya before curling a cross to the far post, where the unmarked Peter Crouch was able to head into the opposite corner.

The Dons were not finished, though, and they threw themselves a lifeline on 69 minutes. Marcus Gayle got down the left and delivered a perfect cross to the head of John Hartson. His effort hit the bar but in the ensuing scramble Jason Euell forced the ball over the line.

It was all a far cry from a dull first half where the two teams could hardly conjure up a chance between them.

Wimbledon's only real effort came on three minutes when Mark Williams released Hartson, who got to the ball before keeper Lee Harper, rounded him but then could not turn the ball in from an acute angle.

There was little excitement at the other end until first half injury time when a corner was cleared only as far as Langley on the edge of the box and his blistering shot was superbly parried by Kelvin Davis in the visitors' goal.

The second half was like a different game and when the Dons pulled it back to 2-1 it looked odds on that they would force an equaliser.

On 72 minutes Trond Andersen headed Neil Ardley's corner just wide while on 79 minutes Duncan Jupp's cross saw Gayle rise highest but put his effort inches past the post.

Clarke Carlisle was magnificent at the heart of the Rangers defence as the crosses continued to fly in, denying Hartson three times with brilliant headed interceptions.

Wimbledon laid siege to the Rangers area at the death but it was all to no avail as the home side valiantly held on.