Tuesday 9th March 2010
The Coca Cola Championship
Loftus Road Stadium
Referee: P Tierney
Kick-off: 20:00
Queens Park Rangers (16th) V Plymouth Argyle (23rd)
By The Godfather

After that excellent 3-1 victory over automatic promotion candidates, West Brom, on Saturday, the mood on the message boards has been a lot more positive. With Warnock in charge, I am cautiously optimistic that, providing the players maintain the levels of effort that they demonstrated against the Baggies, Rangers will soon pull away from the relegation battle.

Tuesday night's fixture, against fellow relegation candidates, Plymouth Argyle, is a must-win match. As I mentioned in my WBA report, the Rs cannot afford to allow complacency to creep into their performance (although I doubt Warnock will stand for that!).

Plymouth Argyle

Season 2008-09 finish: 21st place.

Manager: Paul Mariner

The 2009/10 campaign has been a nightmare one for supporters of Plymouth Argyle. After the departures of several key players last summer, the team has struggled to pick up points. In December, following a disastrous start to the season, Paul Sturrock was relieved of his managerial duties and moved to a 'business support' role. Paul Mariner, a Plymouth playing legend and former England international, replaced him as Head Coach.

Since then, despite a notable improvement in performances, the poor results have continued. The Pilgrims now find themselves in 23rd position, seven points off safety. In short, they cannot afford to lose on Tuesday night.

Men to watch

Plymouth's main attacking threat is top scorer, Jamie Mackie, who has netted seven goals so far this season. The 24 year-old signed for the Pilgrims in 2008 after a successful three-year spell with Exeter City. Since then, he has established himself as a first-team regular, impressing the Argyle supporters with his performances. He could cause problems for QPR on Tuesday night.

Rory Fallon could partner Mackie in attack. The 27 year-old, who has been linked with a move to QPR in the past, has made 117 appearances for Argyle since joining the club in 2007. Whilst not being a prolific goalscorer, he does have the ability to cause the opposition problems, particularly with his aerial threat. Fallon, who lists Barnsley, Swindon and Swansea among his former clubs, has made 4 appearances for the New Zealand national team.

Bradley Wright-Phillips could also be involved on Tuesday night. The 24 year-old signed for the Pilgrims last summer, but has struggled with injuries. The former Manchester City and Southampton forward is unpopular with supporters, after he was accused of stealing mobile phones from a bar in 2008. Wright-Phillips' pace and skill could pose a threat on Tuesday night.

In midfield, Paul Mariner has the talented Luke Summerfield at his disposal. Son of former footballer, Kevin Summerfield, the 22 year-old has made 71 appearances for the Pilgrims since signing a professional contract with the club in 2005. During his time with Plymouth, he has enjoyed successful loan spells with Bournemouth and Leyton Orient.

Club captain, Steve Fletcher, is likely to play in central midfield on Tuesday night. The 29 year-old possesses an abundance of experience at this level, having previously enjoyed spells with West Ham, Watford, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. The former Welsh international brings stability and leadership qualities to the team.

In the full-back position, former Manchester United defender, Richard Eckersley, could retain his place. The 20 year-old has joined the Pilgrims from Burnley on a one-month loan deal.

In goal, the talented David Stockdale is likely to start on Tuesday night. The 20 year-old, who is contracted to Fulham, signed for Plymouth on loan after impressing during a behind-closed-doors friendly at Home Park. He has also played for York, Darlington and Leicester.

Previous Match

August 2009 - Despite dominating the match, Queens Park Rangers threw away the chance to achieve their first Championship victory of the 2009/10 campaign with just minutes remaining. The Rs took the lead three minutes before the break, when Heidar Helguson converted Adel Taraabt's cross-come-shot. However, as Plymouth piled on the pressure in the closing stages, Kaspars Gorkss headed Gary Sawyer's long throw into his own net.

QPR Manager, Jim Magilton: "We are disappointed with the final moment, their goal, especially after we had dealt with their set pieces all afternoon. We set out very attack minded today, we dominated possession, we had some wonderful opportunities to win the game. But we didn't lose the game and we know that Plymouth is a difficult place to come and Paul (Sturrock) threw everything at us and probably feels as if he got his just reward."

Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Queens Park Rangers

QPR Team News

After missing Saturday's match through injury, Lee Cook will have to undergo a late fitness test before Neil Warnock names his side. Meanwhile, Marcus Bent could be given an opportunity to impress after sitting out of the WBA fixture. Gavin Mahon and Martin Rowlands remain long-term absentees.

Prediction

I expect that this will be a difficult match. Argyle will certainly be 'up' for the encounter: as already mentioned, they cannot afford to suffer another defeat. However, if the Rs produce a similar performance to that of last Saturday, I see no reason why they can't pick up three very valuable points. I expect a tight, physical game, with the Rs coming out on top.

Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Plymouth Argyle.