With QPR welcoming Doncaster to Loftus Road on New Year's Day, LFW looks back at a memorable meeting between the two sides on this ground from 2010.

Recent Meetings

Doncaster Rovers 2 QPR 1, Saturday November 30, 2013, Championship

League leading QPR suffered a surprise defeat at lowly Doncaster when these sides met earlier this season in the last fixture of November. Rangers were below par throughout but looked set to grind out another win when Rovers goalkeeper Ross Turnbull allowed a tame shot from Charlie Austin squirm through him and into the net on the stroke of half time. But the home team were deservedly level immediately after the break when Theo Robinson sent a dangerous cross shot right through the area and into the far corner of the net with Robert Green stranded and, as QPR continued to labour, Paul Dickov’s men snatched a winner in the last minute of normal time when Quinn headed home Duffy’s corner.

Doncaster: Turnbull 5; Quinn 5, Khumalo 6, McCullogh 6, Stevens 6; Coppinger 6, Furman 6, Wellens 7, Duffy 7; Robinson 6, Macheda 7

Subs not used: Paynter, Cotterill, Maxted, Wakefield, Woods, De Val, Paterson

Goals: Robinson 48 (unassisted), Quinn 89 (assisted Duffy)

Bookings: Wellens 51 (foul) Turnbull 90 + 4 (time wasting)

QPR: Green 6; Simpson 6, Dunne 6, Hill 6, Assou-Ekotto 5; Barton 6, O’Neil 5 (Johnson 63, 6); Phillips 5, Jenas 4, Kranjcar 4 (Hoilett 77, 6); Austin 6

Subs not used: Traore, Carroll, Onyewu, Henry, Murphy

Goals: Austin 43

Bookings: Dunne 81 (foul), Jenas 90 + 3 (foul)

Doncaster Rovers 0 QPR 1, Saturday March 19, 2011, Championship

The QPR promotion party was just starting to get into full swing when the R’s visited South Yorkshire and the Keepmoat Stadium in March 2011. There was the usual pre-match drama, with the outstanding QPR player of the campaign, Adel Taarabt, sent home prior to kick off owing to a family bereavement — although the rumours in the away end at the time were rather different — but in typical 2010/11 QPR style it matter little. His replacement, Hogan Ephraim, scored a fine second half goal to light up a dull match and win Rangers another three points despite a mediocre performance A boisterous, inflatable clutching away support celebrated long into the night on the East Coast mainline trains home.

Doncaster: Woods 6, Hird 6, Martis 6, Friend 6, Mills 6, Coppinger 7, Oster 5 (Mason 67, 6), Stock 7, Gillett 6 (Dumbuya 84, -), Moussa 5, Hayter 6 (Euell 74, 6)

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Wilson, Shiels, Kilgallon

QPR: Kenny 7, Orr 6, Gorkss 6, Hall 7, Hill 6, Derry 7, Faurlin 6, Ephraim 6 (Buzsaky 62, 6), Smith 7, Routledge 6, Helguson 6 (Hulse 80, -)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Agyemang, Moen, Chimbonda, Shittu

Booked: Orr (foul)

Goals: Ephraim 47 (assisted Routledge)

QPR 3 Doncaster Rovers 0, Saturday September 25, 2010, Championship

The first meeting between these two sides that season following the pattern of many other QPR games around that time. The R’s were below par in the first half and went in at half time locked in a stalemate. After the break, with Heidar Helguson leading the line superbly, the R’;s scored two Kaspars Gorkss goals from corners and Adel Taarabt added a third from the penalty spot after Helguson had been tripped. It could all have been so different had Doncaster been awarded a spot kick of their own when O’Connor appeared to be tripped in the area as a corner dropped to him.

QPR: Kenny 8, Walker 8, Connolly 7, Gorkss 8, Hill 8, Derry 8 (Leigertwood 76, 7), Buzsaky 7, Taarabt 6, Ephraim 6, Mackie 6 (Smith 89, -), Helguson 8 (Agyemang 87)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Rowlands, Borrowdale, Parker

Goals: Gorkss 53 (assisted Buzsaky), 88 (assisted Taarabt), Taarabt 81 (penalty won by Helguson)

Doncaster: Sullivan 6, Dumbuya 8, O'Connor 7, Martis 6, Friend 6, Coppinger 7, Gillett 7 (Hayter 79, 6), Oster 7, Martin Woods 7, Shiels 7, Sharp 6

Subs Not Used: Gary Woods, Stock, Lockwood, Wilson, Hird, Fairhurst

Booked: Sharp (foul), Sullivan (penalty concession)

Doncaster Rovers 2 QPR 0, Saturday November 21, 2009, Championship

When QPR last travelled to the Keepmoat Stadium they were fourth in the table following a 2-1 away victory at Sheffield Wednesday and had Jim Magilton in charge. During a two week international break Magilton had added (or been presented with) Tommy Williams and Steven Reid on loan and despite the team’s good form and fine performances chose to put both players straight into his starting line up instead of Gavin Mahon who was injured and Gary Borrowdale who was dropped. Adel Taarabt was left out after missing the team coach to South Yorkshire the night before. QPR were hopeless, losing very comfortably 2-0, with Billy Sharp making the most of dire marking from a corner to open the scoring just after half time and Shiels profiting from poor play by Gorkss and Williams in possession to fire home a second ten minutes later. Jay Simpson’s dragged shot wide of the post straight after half time was as good as it ever got for the visitors.

Doncaster: Sullivan 6, Chambers 6, Hird 6, O'Connor 6, Roberts 7, Oster 6 (Spicer 87, -), Fortune 7 (Shackell 72, 6), Gillett 6, Shiels 8 (Mark Wilson 85, -), Coppinger 6, Sharp 7

Subs Not Used: Smith, Hayter, Guy, Heffernan

Goals: Sharp 53 (assisted Shiels), Shiels 65 (unassisted)

QPR: Cerny 7, Leigertwood 6, Connolly 6, Gorkss 5, Williams 5, Routledge 6, Reid 5, Watson 5, Faurlin 7 (Taarabt 46, 6) Buzsaky 5 (Agyemang 63, 5), Simpson 6 (Pellicori 63, 4)

Subs Not Used: McWeeney, Stewart, Ramage, Ephraim

Booked: Leigertwood (foul)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 7 >>> Draws 1 >>> Doncaster wins 8

Previous Results:

2013/14 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/33455/late-doncaste 2 QPR 1 (Austin)

2010/11 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/11853/ephraim-fills 0 QPR1 (Ephraim)

2010/11 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/11805/fb_news.php?s 3 Doncaster 0 (Gorkss 2, Taarabt)

2009/10 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/11805/fb_news.php?s 2 Doncaster 1 (German, Simpson)

2009/10 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/11805/fb_news.php?s 2 QPR 0

2008/09 Doncaster 2 QPR 0

2008/09 QPR 2 Doncaster 0 (Blackstock, Ledesma)

1984/85 Doncaster 1 QPR 0 (FA Cup)

1966/67 Doncaster 1 QPR 1 (Keen)

1966/67 QPR 6 Doncaster 0 (R Morgan 2, Keen 2, Sanderson, Marsh)

1958/59 QPR 3 Doncaster 1 (Longbottom, Cameron, Kerrins)

1958/59 Doncaster 2 QPR 0

1951/52 QPR 0 Doncaster 2

1951/52 Doncaster 4 QPR 0

1950/51 Doncaster 0 QPR 2 (Clayton, Smith)

1950/51 QPR 1 Doncaster 2 (Hatton)

Memorable Match

QPR 2 Doncaster Rovers 1, Saturday February 20, 2010, Championship

Flavio Briatore’s QPR vanity project lay in ruins when Doncaster Rovers visited Loftus Road in February 2010.

His plans to turn Rangers into a “boutique” football club where the rich and famous would pay top dollar to watch Premier League football in a tiny stadium in West London had backfired badly amid supporter unrest and a succession of managerial changes. In two and a half seasons he’d fired or forced out John Gregory, Luigi De Canio, Iain Dowie, Paulo Sousa, Jim Magilton and Paul Hart and the team had, predictably, started to struggle.

By February 2010 Mick Harford was in charge, the R’s had seven loan players among their numbers — more than they were allowed to use in a matchday squad — and relegation to League One looked like a distinct possibility. The R’s had lost their previous five matches to Forest (5-0), Scunthorpe, Peterborough, Coventry (all 1-0) and Ipswich (2-1) where the first half display was as bad as many Loftus Road regulars could ever recall.

On the eve of Rovers’ visit, with QPR supporters staging clown-themed protests at home games, Briatore stepped down as chairman, promoting the much more popular Amit Bhatia in his place. There was a feeling of a new broom sweeping clean and the feel good factor spilled onto the field where Harford selected rookie forward Antonio German from the start in attack.

Ale Faurlin, who’d struggled early on with a nasty head wound that required stitches, was heavily involved in the move for QPR’s opening goal on 18 minutes - first spraying a tremendous cross field pass out to Lee Cook on the left, then moving into position to receive the ball back and lay it through for Akos Buzsaky who sent a terrific cross into the six yard box from the corner of the penalty area. Jay Simpson looked the favourite to score but when Neil Sullivan produced a splendid save to keep his header out it needed German, who had started the whole move with some terrific work tight to the touchline, to swoop in and stab the ball home from close range.

Rangers were then very unfortunate not to go two up just before half time. German fed Simpson whose shot was deflected wide for a corner. Lee Cook’s outswinging delivery was met powerfully by Kaspars Gorkss but his header was somehow stopped on the line, possibly by another fine save from Sullivan.

Straight after half time Rangers went close twice in the first two minutes. First more great hard work from German teed up Faurlin for a low shot from 25 yards that flashed just wide of the post with Sullivan struggling to get across and cover. Then German himself really should have made Doncaster pay for some poor marking from another corner. Cook took another outswinger and this time German, left unmarked in the six yard box, headed over when he should have scored. Still, the improvement in QPR’s previously woeful corners since Cook started taking them again was there for all to see.

German looked gutted not to have taken the chance, and one can only imagine his emotions when Doncaster marched straight down to the School End and equalised. Damion Stewart made it far too easy for Billy Sharp to turn on the byline and cross, Peter Ramage was sleeping in the six yard box and James Hayter, a one time Ian Holloway QPR transfer target, stole a march on him and slammed the ball in at the near post.

With just under a quarter of an hour left to play QPR got the decisive winning goal their efforts in attack just about deserved. A long kick down the field from Ikeme was once again brilliantly won in the air by German who headed the ball down to Akos Buzsaky. The Hungarian then lobbed an inch perfect pass in behind the Doncaster back four and with the flag actually staying down for once Jay Simpson was able to run in behind, control and fire a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

Bhatia celebrated with CEO Ishan Saksena as if it was the winning goal in a cup final, and then went into the dressing room afterwards to praise the players for their efforts and pledge a new approach from the boardroom. Within weeks Neil Warnock had been poached from Crystal Palace to manage the team and 18 months later the R’s were celebrating promotion into the Premier League.

QPR: Ikeme 6, Ramage 5 (Taarabt 77, 5), Stewart 6, Gorkss 7, Hill 6, Buzsaky 7, Faurlin 7, Connolly 7 (Borrowdale 85, -), Cook 7, Simpson 7, German 8 (Vine 90, -)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Quashie, Balanta, Oastler

Goals: German 25 (assisted Buzsaky), Simpson 76 (assisted Buzsaky)

Doncaster: Sullivan 7, O'Connor 6, Hird 5, Ward 5, Chambers 6, Oster 6, Wilson 5 (Roberts 83, -), Stock 7 (Mutch 86, -), Coppinger 6 (Shiels 83, -),Hayter 7, Sharp 6

Subs Not Used: Smith, Guy, Spicer, Dumbuya

Goals: Hayter 51 (assisted Sharp)

Connections

Rufus Brevett >>> Doncaster 1988-1991 >>> QPR 1991-1998

Born in Derby in 1969, Brevett joined Doncaster as a youngster and rose up through the ranks at Rovers before making his debut in 1988. In a three year spell at Belle Vue the left-back became a huge fans favourite and is still regarded as one of the best players to come out of the Rovers youth team.

It wasn’t long however before scouts were being spotted watching the talented defender and it was Don Howe who brought Brevett to Loftus Road in March 1991. The £250,000 fee that the R’s paid was a record transfer received for Donny, a record that remained until very recently when the likes of Matt Mills and Richie Wellens went for big money.

Rufus made his debut for the R’s in a 0-0 draw with Spurs and would go on to help Rangers finish in twelfth place. Two seasons later Brevett was part of the R’s squad that finished in fifth place and as top London club in the inaugural season of the Premier League but he found his first team opportunities limited for the first half of his time with Rangers by the form of Clive Wilson who should really have earned England caps, and would have done had he played for a more fashionable club. When Wilson left for Tottenham in 1995, Brevett became Rangers first choice left back but was unable to prevent their relegation a year later.

Rufus was well liked by fans at QPR. He was a committed and wholehearted player, and he was tremendously good value whenever a disagreement of any sorts broke out. Following our relegation from the Premiership in 1996 we initially seemed to do little else other than play Huddersfield Town thanks to a cup tie that went to a replay. Familiarity breeds contempt, and there were few more contemptible individuals in the game at the time than Town’s centre half Kevin Gray — who would later go on to shatter Gordon Watson’s legs into so many pieces that the incident resulted in a court case.

One of Gray’s typically agricultural challenges on a QPR player at the McAllpine Stadium one evening sparked what Neil Ruddock may have termed “a bit of a dust up” between players. Despite this incident taking place in the QPR right wing area, left back Brevett wasted no time in racing the thick end of 80 yards across the field to land three swift punches before racing back to his position without any of the officials even noticing he’d done it.

Brevett played 153 games for the R’s scoring one goal, and even that looked suspiciously like a Francis Benali own goal against Southampton in 1996, before dropping a division to join the Kevin Keegan revolution at Fulham. At the time Keegan allegedly told Rufus “to leave the little club up the road and join the bigger one” and although we were disgruntled at the time, Brevett’s decision was proved to be a good as he made the Premier League with Fulham and played there successfully for many years while we faffed around with the likes of Houston and Harford in charge.

He later played for West Ham where he suffered another relegation, before spells at Plymouth and Oxford. Following his retirement he has spent his time running a West London tanning salon, completing coaching badges, and some local radio commentary work. He’s now managing Southern League Premier outfit Arlesey Town.

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Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

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