QPR travel to St James’ Park in Exeter on Tuesday for a first round League Cup match hoping for a repeat of the 5-0 thrashing they handed out on this ground in 2009.

Memorable Match

Exeter City 0 Queens Park Rangers 5, Tuesday August 11, 2009, League Cup

QPR eased into the second round of the League Cup with a clinical second half performance on their last visit to Exeter in 2009.

Professional, clinical, comfortable - it was nothing like anything the long suffering QPR fans behind the goal had seen before, and Jim Magilton strode across the pitch at the final whistle looking as if he was not quite sure what all the fuss was about. QPR are the original cheap tea-bag team - never in the cup for very long. It’s a joke coined by Ian Holloway who played in a Rangers side beaten by Stockport County in the 1990s when we were two divisions apart, and managed them to numerous knock out competition disasters most notably against Vauxhall Motors.

Rangers have gone through a few bosses since then and although Iain Dowie had a stab at a cup run in 2008/09 he was sacked before being able to see it through to a creditably narrow defeat at Old Trafford. Normally first round draws at the likes of Orient, Northampton and Exeter City present QPR with the ideal opportunity to bow out quietly and focus on drawing league games nil nil before the inconvenience of the FA Cup rears its ugly head in January. Everything seemed to be going according to the script at the real St James’ Park initially with the scores deadlocked at half time, Exeter giving as good as they were getting and QPR struggling to put three passes together. A few choice half time words and five goals in 35 second half minutes later though and Rangers were through as the biggest scorers in the competition on the evening leaving the travelling 800 or so somewhat shell shocked.

Exeter were more than a match for QPR in the first half, but crumbled under pressure in the second and capitulated after a sending off and subsequent penalty dispatched for a hat trick by Wayne Routledge. Ultimately only three goal line clearances in the final ten minutes prevented QPR hitting seven or eight.

This all came after Magilton had made wholesale changes to his starting eleven following the weekend draw with Blackpool. With Heidar Helguson and Adel Taarabt both away on international duty Patrick Agyemang and Rowan Vine started in attack, with first starts following injury for Mikele Leigertwood and Akos Buzsaky in midfield. Damion Stewart and Matt Connolly came into the back four and the expense of Hall and Ramage leaving only Radek Cerny, Gary Borrowdale, Kaspars Gorkss and Routledge as survivors from the Blackpool fixture.

Exeter had striker problems coming into the game with summer signing Barry Corr suspended following a sending off at Leeds on Saturday, last season’s top scorer Adam Stansfield injured and former Ipswich front man Richard Logan fit enough only for the bench. That meant the familiar face of veteran Marcus Stewart got the nod in attack against the new look QPR back four.

The home side started the game in lively fashion but almost fell behind in the seventh minute when Rowan Vine went close to scoring seemingly quite by accident. Wayne Routledge put over a cross from the right that Vine did well to get a head on at all and the ball then looped up into the air, over Paul Jones in the City goal and, almost in slow motion, onto the top of the cross bar and out for a goal kick. Vine had probably just been trying to help the ball back into the danger zone but it was mighty close to being the opening goal of the game.

Rangers went close again on the quarter hour when Matt Connolly read the play well and intercepted an Exeter pass on halfway before feeding it into Vine’s feet. With his back to goal 40 yards out Vine turned possession round the corner to his left for Routledge to race onto. His ball into the area seemed to be covered by Jones but when the keeper fumbled right out at the edge of his own box it seemed as though Agyemang was favourite to slot it into the empty net. In the end the keeper dropped on the loose ball at the second attempt to bring an end to the unsightly shemozzle.

On Boxing Day 2007 just down the road from Exeter referee Steve Bratt turned in a thoroughly abysmal performance as Rangers crashed to a late defeat against Plymouth. The young match official was quieter on Tuesday, his first QPR fixture since then, but gave Hogan Ephraim a roar deal with two decisions either side of the 20 minute mark. First Ephraim was crudely chopped down on the edge of the penalty area by Richard Duffy as he drove towards goal and received no free kick, then seconds later Duffy took a theatrical tumble under no contact at all from Ephraim and was awarded a relieving set piece. Overall though he refereed this reasonably well and QPR got the game’s big decision given their way in the second half.

Exeter came back into the game with three decent efforts on goal in the final fifteen minutes of the half. First a monumentally bad piece of control or ill advised pass back, it was not clear which, from Damion Stewart gave Marcus Stewart possession in the penalty area but with Kaspars Gorkss right at his back all he could do was hook an ambitious volley over his shoulder and straight at Radek Cerny from twelve yards out.
Ten minutes before the break Stewart was calling Cerny into action again with a diving header at the near post that the keeper read well and saved right down in the bottom corner. No sooner had the Czech stopper returned the ball into the field of play than it was coming back at him at speed with Bertie Cozic trying his luck from distance and drawing a comfortable two handed catch on the stretch from the QPR man.

Although there must have been one or two hearts in mouths around the ground when Goldbourne steered a diving header a couple of feet wide of his own net with Jones well beaten right on the stroke of half time the corner came to nothing and Exeter could leave the field happy with their evening’s work and confident that an upset was there for the taking. They had grown in confidence through the first half while QPR had been lacklustre, dysfunctional and lacking fluidity. The second half could not have been more different.

Although the second stanza started in frustrating fashion with Ephraim picking up a stupid yellow card for getting in the way of a quickly taken Exeter free kick there was a hint of better things to come when neat build up through midfield released Agyemang on the edge of the box but the big striker was just crowded out. Although Exeter were able to break from that and unload an effort on goal of their own, Marcus Stewart hit a tame one straight at the keeper, the Agyemang chance was merely a warning of more to come.The deadlock was broken seven minutes after half time by Wayne Routledge. Mikele Leigertwood executed a splendid through ball that cut between the two Exeter centre halves and took them totally out of the game. Jones rushed from his line but Routledge had already ghosted in behind the back four from his right wing position and the keeper’s advances offered him the opportunity of a first time lobbed finish into an unguarded goal that he took with aplomb.

That goal seemed to be the release and confidence booster that QPR needed, although Exeter really should have drawn level when a back post cross from Duffy almost straight from the kick off was met powerfully at the back post by McAllister but he could only drop it straight into Cerny’s arms with the whole goal to aim at. That was to be the last serious threat Exeter posed on the night with half an hour still to play and within a minute QPR’s lead had been doubled. This time it was Agyemang the provider, bumbling to the edge of the box in ungainly fashion and drawing two defenders to him leaving enough space to his right into which he could slip a nice pass that gave Routledge all the time he needed to drill a low, first time shot under Jones’ body and into the net in front of the jubilant Rangers fans.

A minute after that it was three. A corner from Akos Buzsaky found Gorkss at the back stick, his downward header clipped the inside of the post and looked destined for the back of the net until Goldbourne spooned it off the line with his left hand. QPR players and fans appealed that the ball had crossed the line anyway or that it was handball and a penalty in equal measure and between referee Bratt and the linesman directly in front of where I was standing a spot kick was indeed awarded and inevitable red card produced. There followed a bizarre argument between Duffy and the linesman over one of the easiest decisions he has ever had to give - Goldbourne looked guilty as sin as he trooped off - before Routledge stepped up to take the set piece and seal his hat trick.

That meant QPR were cruising and the right winger was immediately removed and rested by Jim Magilton who sent on Gareth Ainsworth in his position to the delight of the travelling fans and Alessandro Pellicori for Rowan Vine.

Rangers could easily have racked up a cricket score in the final twenty minutes, scoring twice more and having three cleared off the line. The first attempt was from Ainsworth - a looping back post header that seemed to have the keeper beaten all ends up but, as Rachubka had done against us on Saturday, Jones bent his body backwards and just about got it off the line with a combination of his hand and Richard Duffy’s head. Having been denied by an illegal save on the goal line earlier Kaspars Gorkss was made to wait a little longer for his first competitive QPR goal as he too was denied by Duffy back on the line who managed to get the Latvian’s powerful header behind for another corner.

Gorkss was involved in the fourth goal five minutes from time - he nodded Buzsaky’s overhit corner back into the area for Damion Stewart to turn and hit into the six yard box where Pellicori was on hand with a close range volley and his first goal in English football. Pellicori had earlier blasted a one on one sitter into the QPR fans although had long since been flagged offside so it would not have counted.

By now the warm summer sunshine that had slowly baked the regulars at Newton Abbott race course earlier in the day had dipped behind the small side stand and been replaced with a chill breeze. Exeter’s groundsman had kindly provided some candle light by which we could just about make out the final stages of the game but there was no mistaking the quality of the final goal, scored by Hogan Ephraim, that lit up the whole evening. Facing a battle with Angelo Balanta for the left wing slot in Lee Cook’s continued absence Ephraim pressed his claim for a start at Plymouth on Saturday by cutting infield in the final minute of the game and unloading a glorious right footed shot over Jones and into the top corner of the net for five nil. You don’t save those, as a needlessly aggressive Scottish co-commentator frequently growls.

With confidence flooding through their veins and the whiff of blood in their nostrils the QPR players used stoppage time to hunt for a sixth only to again be denied by Duffy’s goal line clearance masterclass. This time Pellicori was denied by a frankly outlandish clearance from the former Portsmouth man that left him requiring treatment in the goal mouth. The final whistle followed a short time later.

Exeter: Jones 5, Duffy 7, Seaborne 4, Taylor 4, Golbourne 4, Sercombe 5, Russell 6 (Logan 73, 5), Cozic 6, Harley 5, McAllister 5 (Norwood 72, 5), Stewart 6 (Tully 67, 5)

Subs Not Used: Marriott, Saunders, Burnell, Archibald-Henville

Sent Off: Golbourne (65 - deliberate handball on the goal line)

QPR: Cerny 7, Connolly 7, Stewart 7, Gorkss 7, Borrowdale 6, Routledge 8, (Ainsworth 66, 7), Buzsaky 6, Leigertwood 7, Ephraim 7,Vine 5 (Pellicori 67, 7), Agyemang 6 (Mahon 73, 6)

Subs Not Used: Putnins, Ramage, Hall, Alberti

Booked: Ephraim (obstructing the taking of a free kick)

Goals: Routledge 53 (assisted Leigertwood), 61 (assisted Agyemang), 66 (penalty - handball), Pellicori 85 (assisted Stewart), Ephraim 89 (unassisted)

Attendance: 4,614 (813 QPR)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> Exeter wins 14 >>> Draws 17 >>> QPR wins 28

2009/10 Exeter 0 QPR 5* (Routledge 3, Pellicori, Ephraim)

1965/66 QPR 1 Exeter 0 (L Allen)

1965/66 Exeter 0 QPR 0

1964/65 QPR 0 Exeter 0

1964/65 Exeter 2 QPR 2 (Leary 2)

1957/58 Exeter 0 QPR 0

1957/58 QPR 1 Exeter 1 (Cameron)

1956/57 QPR 5 Exeter 3 (Longbottom 3, Kerrins, Andrews)

1956/57 Exeter 0 QPR 0

1955/56 QPR 1 Exeter 0 (Cameron)

1955/56 Exeter 2 QPR 0

1954/55 QPR 1 Exeter 2 (Smith)

1954/55 Exeter 2 QPR 1 (Cameron)

1953/54 Exeter 0 QPR 0

1953/54 QPR 0 Exeter 0

1952/53 QPR 1 Exeter 1 (Clayton)

1952/53 Exeter 2 QPR 2 (Smith 2)

1947/48 Exeter 1 QPR 2 (Harburn 2)

1947/48 QPR 3 Exeter 1 (Hatton 2, Durrant)

1946/47 QPR 2 Exeter 0 (Durrant, Pattison)

1946/47 Exeter 3 QPR 0

1938/39 Exeter 1 QPR 1 (Stock)

1938/39 QPR 4 Exeter 0 (Bott 2, Cheetham, Fitzgerald)

1937/38 Exeter 0 QPR 4 (Cheetham 2, Bott, McCarthy)

1937/38 QPR 4 Exeter 0 (Cheetham, Charlton, Bott, Fitzgerald)

1936/37 Exeter 0 QPR 3 (Cheetham, Charlton, Bott)

1936/37 QPR 4 Exeter 0

1935/36 Exeter 0 QPR 0

1935/36 QPR 3 Exeter 1 (Cheetham 2, Abel)

1934/35 QPR 1 Exeter 1 (Farmer)

1934/35 Exeter 3 QPR 0

1933/34 QPR 2 Exeter 0 (Blackman, Emmerson)

1933/34 QPR 1 Exeter 1 (Blackman)

1932/33 Exeter 2 QPR 0

1932/33 QPR 1 Exeter 3 (Rounce)

1931/32 QPR 1 Exeter 0 (Blackman)

1931/32 Exeter 6 QPR 2 (Coward, Lewis)

1930/31 Exeter 2 QPR 0

1930/31 QPR 7 Exeter 2 (Goddard 4, Rounce 2, Moffat)

1929/30 Exeter 0 QPR 2 (Goddard, Moffat)

1929/30 QPR 2 Exeter 0 (Young, Rounce)

1928/29 QPR 1 Exeter 0 (Goddard)

1928/29 Exeter 1 QPR 1 (Burns)

1927/28 Exeter 4 QPR 0

1927/28 QPR 0 Exeter 1

1926/27 Exeter 0 QPR 2 (Lofthouse, Patterson)

1926/27 QPR 1 Exeter 1 (Lofthouse)

1925/26 QPR 0 Exeter 0

1925/26 Exeter 3 QPR 0

1924/25 QPR 1 Exeter 4 (Moore)

1924/25 Exeter 1 QPR 3 (Moore, Brown Crompton og)

1923/24 QPR 2 Exeter 0 (Parker 2)

1923/24 Exeter 3 QPR 0

1922/23 QPR 2 Exeter 0 (Parker 2)

1922/23 Exeter 1 QPR 2 (Parker 2)

1921/22 Exeter 0 QPR 1 (Edgely)

1921/22 QPR 2 Exeter 1 (Gregory, Chandler)

1920/21 QPR 2 Exeter 1 (Gregory 2)

1920/21 Exeter 0 QPR 1 (Smith)

* - League Cup

Connections

Jamie Cureton >>> QPR 2004-2005 >>> Exeter 2010-2011, 2012-2013

Although born a West Country boy of Bristol, Cureton actually started his footballing career over in Norfolk with Norwich City. He made his debut for the Canaries in their last Premier League season before relegation and scored an impressive eight goals in just 17 games for City. However Cureton struggled to get into the team the following season and despite becoming a cult-hero at Carrow Road for dying his hair green and yellow for a match against rivals Ipswich in 1996, Cureton moved onto Second Division Bristol Rovers under manager Ian Holloway. It was at The Memorial Stadium that Cureton really showed his goal-scoring prowess, twice scoring more than twenty goals in one season to finish as Rovers top scorer.

A move to Second Division promotion hopefuls Reading followed and he continued his goal-scoring feats with the Royals and helped them move into the First Division in 2002. That promotion was achieved despite the Royals drawing their last six matches of the season — Cureton scored 13 minutes from time to seal the final stalemate, equalising a strike from Martin Rowlands in a 1-1 draw at Brentford that sealed the elevation. A year later though Cureton decided to try his luck abroad and signed for South Korean club Pusan Icons, turning down a summer move to Loftus Road in the process. The gamble never really paid off for Jamie though and a year on with just four goals to his name in Asia, Cureton decided to come back to England.

It look as though it would be with Peterborough until his former gaffer at Bristol Rovers Ian Holloway got his man at the second attempt with the help of the ‘Our QPR’ fund. This was somewhat controversial at the time as the fund had initially been started to pay bills and keep the threat of administration away from a potentially promotion winning QPR side - chief executive David Davies had said earlier in the season that players may have to be sold to meet costs. QPR had also bought Tony Thorpe after being rejected by Cureton that summer so the move was a strange one all round. He struggled to get into the side that won promotion back to the Championship that season with a last day win over Sheffield Wednesday, but did contribute two vital goals, including one with the last kick of the game, to a 3-2 win against Port Vale at Loftus Road without which Bristol City would have beaten us to second place.

The goals never quite came for him, mainly due to Holloway repeatedly playing him out of a position on the right-wing to accommodate Tony Thorpe along with Kevin Gallen and Paul Furlong. His only goals in the Championship the following season strangely came against Coventry, with a memorable hat-trick that included a Van Basten-like volley at Loftus Road and another at Highfield Road but he soon found himself surplus to requirement and was farmed out first on loan to Swindon then Colchester before landing a permanent moved to Layer Road in 2006. It was here he rediscovered his shooting boots winning the Championship Golden Boot award with 24 in the 2006/07 season and securing a move back to his first club Norwich City.

Cureton has been very hit and miss for his entire career - enjoying great spells with Bristol Rovers and Reading, and poor ones with QPR and then Norwich second time around. Cureton managed just 48 starts, and a further 28 substitute appearances across three years in his second spell with the club - a time that saw Norwich quickly rattle through four managers and sink down into League One. He spent time on loan with Barnsley and then Shrewsbury looking for first team football before joining Exeter City for the first time in 2010. His time at St James’ Park was prolific, he scored 17 League One goals last season but left to join Leyton Orient where he managed just one in 23 last season suggesting his career was winding down. Not a bit of it, aged 37 he went back to Exeter on loan for the closing stages of the 2011/12 season and then moved back to St James’ Park permanently for the 2012/13 campaign where he scored 21 goals in 39 starts and three sub appearances.

Approaching his 38th birthday he’s now set to go around again after sealing a free transfer move to last season’s losing League Two play off semi finalists Cheltenham Town this summer.

Others >>> Tommy Doherty, QPR 2005-2008, Exeter 2012-present >>> Jamie Mackie, Exeter 2005-2008, QPR 2010-2013 >>> Daniel Nardiello, QPR 2007-2008, Exeter 2010-2012 >>> Rowan Vine, QPR 2007-2012, Exeter (loan) 2011 >>> Aaron Brown, Exeter (loan) 2000, QPR 2004-2006 >>> Tony Scully, 1998-2001, Exeter (loan) 2005 >>> Tommy Langley, QPR 1980-1981, Exeter 1988-1989 >>> Ray Harford, Exeter 1966-1967, QPR (manager) 1997-1998 >>> Mark O’Connor, QPR 1981-1983, Exeter (loan) 1983-1984 >>> Gerry Francis, QPR 1968-1979, 1981-1982, (manager) 1991-1994, (manager) 1998-2001, Exeter 1983-1984 >>> Ian Evans, QPR 1970-1974, Exeter (loan) 1983-1984 >>> John Delve, QPR 1972-1974, Exeter 1978-1983, 1988

Tweet @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Queens Park Rangers Polls