Saturday 19th March 2011
Keepmoat Stadium
Npower Football League Championship
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: P N Gibbs
Doncaster Rovers (17th) V Queens Park Rangers (1st)
By The Godfather

The mood on the WATRB message board has been more optimistic since the Crystal Palace victory, with various sources reporting that the Faurlin saga is unlikely to result in a points deduction. Last week's performance against the Eagles was very impressive, but Norwich's victory on Monday night means that the Rs still have some work to do in the promotion race. On Saturday, Warnock's men travel to face a struggling Doncaster Rovers team and will be confident about collecting all three points.

Doncaster Rovers

Manager: Sean O'Driscoll

When I saw Rovers last year, I was impressed by their entertaining brand of football, despite the 3-0 scoreline (which probably flattered QPR a little). They retained possession effectively and looked dangerous in attack. However, Doncaster have really struggled during the latter half of the campaign. They currently lie in 17th position, with a terrible goal difference of -17. Fortunately, Sean O'Driscoll's men picked up enough points in the early stages of the season in order to avoid a relegation battle. They are ten points clear of Scunthorpe United and are very unlikely to be caught.

Nevertheless, O'Driscoll will be keen to pick up a decent result on Saturday afternoon. Donny have only picked up one win in their last ten matches, performing particularly badly at the Keepmoat Stadium, where they recently lost 6-0 to Paul Jewell's Ipswich side.

Star man

Billy Sharp is Doncaster's current top scorer, with fifteen league goals to his name this season. The 25 year-old first earned a reputation as a prolific goalscorer at Scunthorpe United, netting 53 times in 83 appearances over a two-year period. This record attracted the interest of Sheffield United, who signed him for around £2 million in 2007. However, he was never able to find form at Bramall Lane, the only real highlight of his Blades spell being a hat-trick against Iain Dowie's QPR side. After failing to break into the starting line-up, he joined Doncaster on loan last season and notched 15 goals. O'Driscoll secured his services on a permanent basis during the summer and he has clearly proved to be an excellent signing.

Previous Match

September 2010(extract from my match report) - A sign of a good team is the ability to pick up points despite producing a below-par performance. And that is exactly what Queens Park Rangers did today, extending their lead at the top of the Championship to six points. The 3-0 scoreline did not reflect a game in which Doncaster looked very threatening in attack, forcing a number of clear-cut opportunities. However, clearly full of confidence after such a terrific start to the season, the Rs managed to take their chances in the second half, with Kaspars Gorkss netting a brace and Adel Taraabt converting from the penalty spot.

As Neil Warnock stated in his post-match interview, QPR's star players were not at their best today. Sean O'Driscoll had clearly conducted research on the Super Hoops, instructing his players to close down the likes of Taraabt and Buzsaky at every opportunity. Therefore, on few occasions did Rangers manage to unlock Doncaster's defence in open play, with all three goals coming from set pieces. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and fans will be hoping that the Rs can continue the momentum on Tuesday night when they come up against local rivals, Millwall.

Queens Park Rangers 3-0 Doncaster Rovers

QPR Team News

Wayne Routledge could miss this match depending on the results of a late fitness test. He picked up an ankle injury during training this week. Danny Shittu is available after serving his one-game suspension, whilst Fitz Hall should also be able to play. Jamie Mackie, Patrick Agyemang, Lee Cook and Peter Ramage remain long-term absentees.

Promotion rivals

If Queens Park Rangers can beat Doncaster, they could well extend their lead further at the top of the league table. Norwich will travel to face an in-form Hull City side: I don't see them winning there. Meanwhile, promotion rivals, Swansea and Nottingham Forest, will meet at the Liberty Stadium. A draw would be the best result for the Super Hoops. Cardiff also have a difficult fixture against Millwall, who beat Burnley 3-0 last Saturday. Lastly, Leeds will clash with local rivals, Sheffield United, at Bramall Lane.

Prediction

Frankly, Queens Park Rangers are more than capable of beating Doncaster Rovers. O'Driscoll's men are on a poor run of form, meaning that team morale will surely be low. Providing that QPR can maintain their level of performance, this should really be a comfortable victory. If they get a first goal, QPR must try to find a 'killer' second rather than sit back: I don't want to see a repeat of the Preston match.

Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Queens Park Rangers