Everyone seems to have their eyes glued to the title race at the minute and who could blame them really? Both Manchester clubs have locked horns and look set to take the battle for supremacy down to the wire with the derby on 30th April looking to be very decisive indeed. That is sport in its finest form. What about the battle that’s going on down at the other end, though? This season’s relegation dogfight is proving to be very exciting indeed and each of the bottom five clubs – Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves and QPR – cannot consider themselves out of the woods such is the minimal points difference between them all.
Last weekend saw four of the bottom five square off against each other and we certainly learned a few things. First of all, the call for goal-line technology has come to the fore once again as Clint Hill became the latest victim – his header against Bolton crossing the line by at least a foot but instead being waved ‘play on’ by the officials. Secondly we learned that Lancashire clubs Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic have more fight in them than we thought with both teams earning credible results.
Firstly to the Reebok Stadium and Bolton’s game against QPR where the Wanderers edged out Mark Hughes’ west London side 2-1 by virtue of a late Ivan Klasnic finish. The game, as we’ve touched on, was not without its controversy – with the game poised at 0-0 Clint Hill met Joey Barton’s corner with a near-post header which was kept out by Adam Bogdan…but not before it crossed the line by at least a foot. The officials waved ‘play on’ and the rest, as they say, is history. Hughes’ men could consider themselves very harshly done to but, let’s not forget that it wasn’t even a corner in the first place and the fact that Djibril Cisse’s leveller was offside. Luck evens itself out in the game and Rangers had ample chances to have taken something from the game. Owen Coyle’s men earned themselves a vital win and it was very hard fought; Ivan Klasnic took his goal very well and in Ryo Miyaichi and Mark Davies they have the quality to unlock opposition defences. A lucky win it may have been but it was one that Coyle’s men can build on as they head into the final stretch.
For QPR, it was another case of what if. Since Hughes has taken over the Hoops have performed well enough in a number of games to have tallied up more points than they actually have. Indeed, in his first game in charge they lost 1-0 up at Newcastle United – a game in which they had a hatful of chances but came away with nothing. They’ve also lost key games against teams around them – Blackburn and Wolves namely. Alas, this job might be a bridge too far for Sparky and I see QPR heading straight back to the Championship at the first time of asking. Shame about that four year plan, eh?