Saturday 25th September 2010
Npower Football League Championship
Loftus Roaf Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: R East
Queens Park Rangers (1st) V Doncaster Rovers (7th)
By The Godfather

There is now a real sense of belief around Loftus Road. Having won six of their seven matches, Queens Park Rangers lead the Championship by five points. This Saturday's match against Doncaster Rovers, however, is likely to be a difficult one. In my view, Sean O'Driscoll's side are one of the dark horses of this division, currently sitting in 7th position. Warnock must not allow his team to become complacent.

Doncaster Rovers

Manager: Sean O'Driscoll

Season 2009-10 finish: 12th position

On the occasions I have watched Doncaster Rovers, I have been impressed by their attractive and exciting brand of football. Sean O'Driscoll, the man responsible for the club's recent success, encourages his team to keep the ball on the ground. Indeed, Donny's style of play has proved to be effective since their promotion to the Championship, achieving a respectable 12th-placed finish last season. With such a talented coach in charge and the likes of Billy Sharp up front, supporters are hoping that Rovers could be a surprise package this campaign.

Doncaster have started the season reasonably well, excluding a heavy loss against promotion favourites, Cardiff, in August. They have taken twelve points from their seven matches, beating Hull and Norwich comfortably. In their previous match, local rivals, Leeds United, held Rovers to a 0-0 draw. With the Super Hoops in such terrific form, O'Driscoll will probably be happy with another point on Saturday afternoon.

Men to watch

As already mentioned, Doncaster's star striker is Billy Sharp, a man who joined the club during the summer following a successful loan spell last season. He initially gained a reputation as a prolific goalscorer at Scunthorpe United, where he netted 53 goals in 82 appearances between 2005 and 2007. This record attracted the interest of Sheffield United, who purchased him for a fee of £2 million. Sharp never managed to regain his form at Bramall Lane, with the exception of a hat trick against Iain Dowie's Queens Park Rangers. With limited first-team opportunities, the 24 year-old moved to Donny on loan in 2009/10, making an immediate impact. After scoring 15 goals for the club, Rovers supporters were delighted when O'Driscoll signed him for £1.15 million. Pacey and skilful, Sharp could pose a threat on Saturday afternoon.

On the wing, expect to see the experienced John Oster. The 31 year-old has played for a number of clubs in this division, including Sunderland, Burnley, Reading and Crystal Palace. Since signing for Doncaster in 2009, Oster has established himself as a first-team regular, bringing creativity and flair to the side. Over the course of his career, he has earned 13 international caps for Wales.

Fans' favourite, James Coppinger, is also likely to be involved on Saturday afternoon. The attacking midfielder, who previously spent a very brief loan spell at QPR in 2001 (making no appearances), signed for Doncaster in 2004. The 29 year-old has made 222 appearances for the club, scoring 30 goals.

In central midfield, former Southampton player, Simon Gillett, could start against Queens Park Rangers. During his five-year period at the St Mary's Stadium, the 24 year-old enjoyed loan spells with Walsall, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Yeovil and, finally, Doncaster. His performances impressed O'Driscoll, and the manager decided to sign him on a permanent basis in the summer. Gillett has been involved in every match this season.

At the back, O'Driscoll will be relying upon Dutch defender, Shelton Martis. The 27 year-old signed for Doncaster in February from West Bromwich Albion and his hard-working performances have already attracted praise. He also lists FC Eindhoven, Darlington and Hibernian among his former clubs.

In goal, Doncaster have the experienced Neil Sullivan at their disposal. The 40 year-old is often remembered as the man lobbed from the halfway line by David Beckham, but he is actually a very talented keeper. A former Scottish international, he has played for Wimbledon, Tottenham, Chelsea and Leeds, before joining Rovers in 2007.

Previous Match

February 2010 - Queens Park Rangers finally ended their disastrous losing streak under Mick Harford, beating Doncaster by two goals to one. Antonio German claimed his first professional goal, firing home from close range. James Hayter equalised just after the break, converting Billy Sharp's cross. Just as it seemed that the two sides would have to settle for a draw, Jay Simpson slotted into the net to seal the victory.

Mick Harford: "It was hard work but I thought overall we performed very well. I thought [German] was the best player on the pitch. He's technically very good and if he continues to improve he's got a good future."

Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Doncaster Rovers

QPR Team News

Alejandro Faurlin is unlikely to be involved on Saturday afternoon, following an injury he sustained against Ipswich Town. Akos Buzsaky is likely to start instead. Martin Rowlands was named as a substitute last Saturday, but is unlikely to return to first team action against Donny. Bradley Orr is unavailable, so expect Kyle Walker to retain the right-back position. Rob Hulse is still out with an achilles problem, whilst Lee Cook remains a long-term absentee. Clint Hill will play thanks to pain-killing injections in his ankle.

Prediction

This is likely to be an entertaining affair, with both sides favouring an attractive style of play. As I've said, I think this is going to be a tough test for Warnock's men. Doncaster have an excellent striker in Billy Sharp and could pose a real threat to the Rs' back four. Sean O'Driscoll is also a very talented manager: expect Donny to be very well organised. However, I do think that Queens Park Rangers will pick up the three points here, probably by a single goal.

Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Doncaster Rovers