QPR 1 Brentford 1

Last updated : 21 December 2002 By Footymad Previewer

A scrappy bruising affair which saw honours even was the right result.

Flowing football was definitely not the order of the day and it was a mystery how referee Matt Messias awarded only a total of four extra minutes after five bookings and 44 fouls.

Surprisingly, a stop start first half saw plenty of goalmouth action.

Both sides kept the keepers busy with Paul Smith bringing off two fine saves on the stroke of half time.

The first from Richard LangleyÂ’s free-kick was good enough, but the second as Clark Carlisle met a near post corner kept his side level at the break.

Before that debutant Lee Cook, on loan form Watford, raced to the left wing byline and crossed for Mark Bircham to bury a downward header from five yards.

Brentford had already brought Nick Culkin in to action with a third minute Kevin O'Connor free kick that the keeper turned around the post.

However he could do nothing about the Bees strikers equaliser on 30 minutes.

Brentford's best player of the half, Steve Hunt, ghosted past two defenders before crossing to the back post and Martin Rowlands headed back for O'Connor to mis-hit his shot but still leave Culkin wrong footed for the equaliser.

At the other end Smith had reasons to be grateful for being in the right place when a cross deflected off Kevin Gallen's head and a Brentford knee before landing in the keepers arms.

Striaght after half time Rowland took the ball in his stride and sent a fine curling shot just over the bar.

At the other end Gallen's looping header after he had missed a cross needed Smith to tip over.

The keeper needed to be alert again in the 85th minute when Terrell Forbes let fly from 30 yards only to see another Rangers shot turned away.

Then a melee in the box as a loose ball was hacked at by 12 pairs of boots resulted in the farce of a dropped ball which squirted out of the ruck and in to SmithÂ’s arms to preserve his teams points.