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The hat trick of hat tricks — history
Friday, 3rd Jan 2014 17:21 by Clive Whittingham

In the mid-1990s QPR were involved in a unique trio of hat tricks for three different players in three different games against Everton.

Recent Meetings

Everton 2 QPR 0, Saturday April 13, 2013, Premier League

QPR were well beaten at Goodison Park in April last season as Harry Redknapp’s side meekly surrendered to an inevitable relegation. Daron Gibson saw a shot deflected past Julio Cesar and Victor Anichibe added a second after the break for a comfortable 2-0 home win that Rangers seemed happy to roll over and accept. To be fair the fate was all but sealed in the three games immediately prior to this one — two 3-2 away defeats at Villa and Fulham followed by a heartbreaking last second equaliser from Wigan at Loftus Road — and QPR played like they knew the game was up in this one.

Everton: Howard 7, Baines 7, Jagielka 6, Distan 7, Mirallas 8 (Heitinga 90 - ), Osman 6, Gibson 7, Pienaar 6, Anichebe 8 (Jelavic 81 - ), Fellaini 7 (Naismith 86 - ).

Booked: Gibson (foul), Pienaar (foul), Fellaini (foul)

QPR: Cesar 5, Onuoha 6, Hill 5, Samba 5, Bosingwa 4, Hoilett 6, Jenas 5, Park 5 (Taarabt 61 6), Granero 5 (Diakité 74 6), Townsend 6, Remy 7

Subs Not Used: Green, Ben-Haim, Mackie, Fabio, Bothroyd

Booked: Bosingwa (foul), Townsend (foul) Granero (foul)

QPR 1 Everton 1, Sunday October 21, 2012, Premier League

QPR couldn’t really have asked for much more help against Everton at Loftus Road in October last season as they attempted to snap a run of eight matches without a win at the start of the season. The R’s took the lead in the second minute in front of the Sky Sports cameras when Junior Hoilett ran from halfway before unloading a shot past Tim Howard and into the net via a hefty deflection off Leighton Baines. But Rangers were vulnerable from set pieces and conceded an equaliser on the half hour when Sylvain Distin was left unmarked at a free kick and his header rebounded into the net off the back of goalkeeper Julio Cesar having initially struck the post. Referee Jon Moss rather harshly dismissed Steven Pienaar for two yellow cards after half time but he turned down a stone wall QPR penalty appeal as well and the wait for a win went on and on and on for two more months with the R’s forced to settle for a point in this one.

QPR: Cesar 6, Bosingwa 6, Nelsen 6 (Ferdinand 83 -), Mbia 6, Traore 6 (Onuoha 72, 6), Park 6, Diakite 7, Granero 7, Taarabt 6, Hoilett 7, Zamora 5 (Cisse 71, 5

Subs not used: Green, Wright-Phillips, Faurlin, Mackie

Goals: Hoilett 2 (unassisted)

Bookings: Diakite 66 (foul), Granero 90 (foul)

Everton: Howard 7, Coleman 6, Distin 7, Jagielka 8, Baines 6, Osman 6, Pienaar 6, Neville 6, Mirallas 6, Jelavic 6 (Heitinga 83, -), Anichebe 5 (Naismith 52, 6)

Goals: Cesar og 33 (assisted Distin/Pienaar)

Bookings: Pienaar 51 (foul), 60 (foul)

Sent off: Pienaar 60 (two bookings)

QPR 1 Everton 1, Saturday March 3, 2012, Premier League

Rangers were circling the drain when Everton came to Loftus Road in March 2012. The R’s had lost five out of six at home over the Christmas period including damaging set backs against Norwich, Wolves and Fulham and were now facing a daunting run in that would see Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool head to Shepherds Bush after Everton. When Paddy Kenny allowed a long distance strike from Royston Drenthe to squirm away from him and in for the opening goal the writing seemed to be on the wall, but the crowd was lifted late in the half by the bizarre antics of a squirrel on the pitch and amid the farce Bobby Zamora nodded in an equaliser. That’s the way the game finished, but Rangers won all five and a half home matches played after that squirrel turned up and ultimately survived on the final day of the season.

QPR: Kenny 6, Onuoha 7, Ferdinand 6, Hill 8, Traore 7, Derry 7, Barton 7, Wright-Phillips 6, Buzsaky 7, Taarabt 7 (Mackie 80, -), Zamora 7.

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Young, Smith, Taiwo

Booked: Derry (foul)

Goals: Zamora 36 (assisted Buzsaky)

Everton: Howard 7, Hibbert 6, Heitinga 7, Distin 7, Baines 7, Drenthe 7 (Osman 63, 6), Fellaini 8, Neville 6, Pienaar 7, Cahill 7 (Jelavic 63, 6), Stracqualursi 6 (Coleman 88, -)

Subs Not Used: Mucha, Jagielka, Gueye, Barkley

Booked: Drenthe (foul), Pienaar (dissent)

Goals: Drenthe 31 (assisted Pienaar)

Everton 0 QPR 1, Saturday August 20, 2011, Premier League

After a 4-0 opening day defeat at home to Bolton nobody gave QPR much of a prayer in their first away game following promotion at Goodison Park. Because of the previous week’s riots that saw Everton’s opener against Spurs postponed this was actually the Toffees’ first match of the season but they were stunned by Neil Warnock’s QPR side that launched a trademark smash and grab raid on a ground that they have always enjoyed visiting in the Premier League era. Tommy Smith got the only goal of the game in the first half, finishing nicely after Akos Buzsaky found him in the area intelligently, and although Tim Cahill missed an absolute sitter and Leighton Baines hit the bar with a free kick the Londoners held on for their first win of the season.

Everton: Howard 6, Neville 6, Jagielka 6, Distin 6, Baines 7, Barkley 7, Heitinga 6 (Saha 74, 6), Rodwell 5 (Arteta 54, 5), Osman 6, Cahill 6, Beckford 4 (Fellaini 63, 5)

Subs Not Used: Mucha, Hibbert, Vellios, Anichebe

Booked: Osman (foul)

QPR: Kenny 8, Orr 7, Hall 7, Gabbidon 7, Connolly 7, Derry 8, Faurlin 7, Smith 7 (Ephraim 66, 7), Buzsaky 7, Taarabt 6, Agyemang 5 (Bothroyd 55, 8)

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Gorkss, Perone, Moen, Andrade

Booked: Hall (foul)

Goals: Smith 31 (assisted Buzsaky)

QPR 3 Everton 1, Monday April 8, 1996, Premier League

When these sides met for the final time in QPR’s previous Premier League stint it was an Easter Monday fixture in the 1995/96 season. QPR would finish that campaign in the bottom three having started a rally of results, particularly at home, just too late. Everton were one of three sides suddenly beaten with some ease by QPR in W12, Southampton and West Ham would follow, but it wasn’t enough to keep the R’s up. In this game Kevin Gallen, Mark Hateley and Andy Impey scored the goals for Rangers who won 3-1 despite not forcing a corner in the entire game. John Ebbrell scored for Everton, then managed by Joe Royle.

QPR: Sommer, Bardsley, McDonald, Yates, Brevett, Impey, Holloway, Wilkins, Sinclair, Gallen, Hateley

Subs not used: Ready, Brazier, Dichio

Goals: Gallen, Hateley, Impey

Everton: Southall, Unsworth (Short 63), Watson, Horne (Grant 73), Parkinson, Holcrft, Ebbrell, Kanchelskis, Ferguson, Limpar (Branch 46), Hottinger

Goals: Ebbrell

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> Everton wins 21 >>> Draws 12 >>> QPR wins 15

2012/13 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/31849/schoolboys-ve 2 QPR 0

2012/13 QPR 1 Everton 1 (Hoilett)

2011/12 QPR 1 Everton 1 (Zamora)

2011/12 Everton 0 QPR 1 (Smith)

1995/96 QPR 3 Everton 1 (Gallen, Hateley, Impey)

1995/96 Everton 2 QPR 0

1994/95 QPR 2 Everton 3 (Gallen, Ferdinand)

1994/95 Everton 2 QPR 2 (Ferdinand 2)

1993/94 QPR 2 Everton 1 (White, Ferdinand)

1993/94 Everton 0 QPR 3 (Allen 3)

1992/93 Everton 3 QPR 5 (Ferdinand 3, Impey, Bardsley)

1992/93 QPR 4 Everton 2 (Sinton 3, Penrice)

1991/92 Everton 0 QPR 0

1991/92 QPR 3 Everton 1 (Barker 2, Bailey)

1990/91 QPR 1 Everton 1 (Wegerle)

1990/91 Everton 3 QPR 0

1989/90 Everton 1 QPR 0

1989/90 QPR 1 Everton 0 (Sinton)

1988/89 Everton 4 QPR 1 (Falco)

1988/89 QPR 0 Everton 0

1987/88 Everton 2 QPR 0

1987/88 QPR 1 Everton 0 (M Allen)

1986/87 QPR 0 Everton 1

1986/87 Everton 0 QPR 0

1985/86 Everton 4 QPR 3 (Bannister 2, Byrne)

1985/86 QPR 3 Everton 0 (Bannister 2, Byrne)

1984/85 Everton 2 QPR 0

1984/85 QPR 0 Everton 0

1983/84 Everton 3 QPR 1 (Mickelwhite)

1983/84 QPR 2 Everton 0 (Charles 2)

1978/79 Everton 2 QPR 1 (Goddard)

1978/79 QPR 1 Everton 1 (Gillard)

1977/78 Everton 3 QPR 3 (Shanks, Hollins, Howe)

1977/78 QPR 1 Everton 5 (Eastoe)

1976/77 Everton 1 QPR 3 (Leach, Masson, Bowles)

1976/77 QPR 0 Everton 4

1975/76 Everton 0 QPR 2 (Bowles, Leach)

1975/76 QPR 5 Everton 0 (Francis 2, Givens, Masson, Thomas)

1974/75 Everton 2 QPR 1 (Givens)

1974/75 QPR 2 Everton 2 (Givens, Busby)

1973/74 QPR 1 Everton 0 (Givens)

1973/74 Everton 1 QPR 0

1968/69 QPR 0 Everton 1

1968/69 Everton 4 QPR 0

1951/52 Everton 3 QPR 0

1951/52 QPR 4 Everton 4 (Shepherd 2, Waugh, Gilberg)

1949/50 QPR 0 Everton 2*

1914/15 QPR 1 Everton 2* (Birch)

* - FA Cup

Memorable Match

QPR 4 Everton 2, Monday December 28, 1992, Premier League

Everton 3 QPR 5, Monday April 12, 1993, Premier League

Everton 0 QPR 3, Saturday November 20, 1993, Premier League

The problem with growing up in the mid-1990s as a QPR fan was that you were spoilt.

I went in The Goldhawk with my granddad and my dad, we walked down to the ground at 14.30, we walked up the steps into the Upper Loft and the team was announced over the public address system as we made our way along the concourse to our seats in P Block. Number one was Jan Stejskal, number two was David Bardsley, number three was Clive Wilson, number four was Ray Wilkins, number five was either Danny Maddix or Darren Peacock, number six was Alan McDonald, number seven was Andy Impey, number eight was Ian Holloway, number nine was Les Ferdinand, number ten was either Gary Penrice or Bradley Allen and number 11 was Andy Sinton and then Trevor Sinclair. QPR were always brilliant and often won.

And as a child, with no concept of growing up and things changing, and no real-world lessons and realisations to speak of, I always assumed it would be like that. I had no bad times, on or off the field, to ground me, and I flitted through my junior school days with the careless abandon of somebody without a single care in the world. It was wonderful.

Gerry Francis’ Rangers always seemed to be at the height of their powers when Everton were in town. The first in a unique trio of hat tricks for Rangers players against the Toffees came on December 28 1992 at a time when the R’s were actually in a bit of a trough form wise. They’d eventually finish fifth in the inaugural Premier League, but had been third at the end of October following home wins against Spurs (4-1) and Leeds (2-1). Difficult away games at Villa and Blackburn had been lost as well as the annual defeat at bogey side Sheffield Wednesday while Liverpool and, embarrassingly, relegation haunted Crystal Palace had staged smash and grab raids at Loftus Road. QPR had won two and lost six of their previous eight when Howard Kendall’s Everton visited for the Christmas fixture.

There was an early twist in the plot of this one. Veteran keeper Neville Southall had saved well at full stretch from Ferdinand and then improvised another stop to deny Ian Holloway who received an exquisite pass from Wilkins before striking a volley towards goal that deflected up and over the keeper off Dave Watson. But Southall’s afternoon turned sour when, panicked by the presence of Ferdinand, he and Watson made a total hash of a bouncing through ball — the centre back inadvertently headed it into his keeper’s hands outside the penalty area for a mandatory red card from referee Gerald Ashby after 19 minutes.

That left Everton down to ten men and with rookie goalkeeper Jason Kearton making his debut between the sticks. The Australian would go on to enjoy a long career at Crewe, and he made a fine save from the resulting free kick which David Bardsley had lashed towards goal after the angle was widened. He saved well in the twenty seventh minute from Simon Barker’s flying header as well but Andy Sinton was quickest to the rebound and tucked home the opening goal with 23 minutes played.

Everton then rather fell apart right at the start of the second half, conceding after just a minute when Penrice tempted Kearton out to the corner of the penalty box and then slipped home a well-placed shot into the empty net. A red card for Paul Rideout for stamping on Darren Peacock reduced the visitors to nine men and a rout looked on the cards when Bardsley’s deep, left-footed cross was controlled at the far post by Sinton and struck home into the far corner for 3-0 with 40 minutes still left to play.

But QPR never make things easy and Howard Kendall turned the game back in Everton’s favour by sending on young striker Stuart Barlow. Rangers were caught arseing about in possession on halfway by Horne who slipped Barlow in for the first after 66 minutes and the nine men reduced the deficit to just a single goal on 74 when Barlow hit a speculative shot from 25 yards that looped over Tony Roberts and in via a deflection off Clive Wilson.

In the end Sinton’s powerful first time volley from the edge of the area that flew through a crowded area and into the net for 4-2, after Ray Wilkins’ corner had been cleared out to him, was required to seal a victory that should have come much more easily to the Super Hoops.

By the time Francis took his team to Merseyside for an Easter Monday clash the fine form had returned and Rangers were pushing on once again at the top of the Premier League.

The racist abuse suffered by Les Ferdinand at Goodison Park early in his career fired him up for meetings with the Toffees, and given his prolific scoring record anyway riling him wasn’t the shrewdest of moves. Ferdinand was unplayable from 1992 through to 1995 at QPR — go close and he would beat you in the air or use his power to turn you, stand off and he’s use his pace to fly past you, challenge him in the air and you’d lose. It was an absolute privilege for a club as small as QPR to have a striker as good as that in their team and having already scored a hat trick in a 4-3 win against Forest on Easter Saturday he was well in the mood to go again two days later.

Rangers took an early lead in front of their own supporters when Andy Impey lashed an unstoppable shot past Southall from the edge of the box, but they conceded almost immediately when Tony Cottee stooped to head home a well flighted corner after some slack marking by Clive Wilson.

From then on though it was the Les Ferdinand show. A flowing move down the right that started with Bardsley and featured a neat flick from Bradley Allen was eventually finished by Sinton crossing for Ferdinand to sweep home under pressure. Now 2-1 up at half time the R’s quickly moved into a 5-1 lead after the break with Southall spilling Impey’s cross into Ferdinand’s path for his second and Rangers’ third, and then Sinton feeding Ferdinand for a crisp one-two with Allen and perfect finish into the far corner that drew applause from the Everton supporters behind the goal. Wilkins then widened a free kick for David Bardsley to thrash low into the bottom corner.

Although the Christmas scourge of QPR Stuart Barlow pulled one back and Preki added another that Stejskal really should have saved, a comfortable win for the R’s had long since been sealed.

Rangers were in flying form when they arrived at Goodison Park in November the following season with seven wins and a draw from their previous nine matches and the only defeat coming in very unfortunate circumstances at runaway league leaders Manchester United. Big-spending, title-chasing Blackburn Rovers had been beaten 1-0 in W12 during the week and the R’s headed north with confidence coursing through them.

Everton had won six of their first nine games but only one of the previous six prior to Rangers’ visit and they were comprehensively taken apart by the Londoners. On this occasion it was Ferdinand’s link play rather than goals that helped his team to victory. The scoring was done exclusively by Bradley Allen who had followed in the footsteps of his father Les and brother Clive in hitting a first senior hat trick for the Hoops in a League Cup tie with Barnet a month beforehand and scored seven goals in six matches going into this game. He made that ten in seven with three more here — goals of such quality that even the Everton fans were applauding by the end.

Allen gave Rangers an early lead at the Gladwys Street end of the ground. He’d been involved in the build-up - feeding a knock down from Ferdinand wide to Bardsley - and when the cross came over and was nodded back across the face of goal by Trevor Sinclair, Allen controlled it with his chest, bamboozled Gary Ablett with a cute shoulder drop and then wrong footed Neville Southall with a neat finish. Sinclair had been signed from Blackpool that summer to replace the outgoing Andy Sinton.

The lead was doubled after half time and if the first goal had been all about Allen’s close control and finishing ability, then the second showcased his hereditary predatory instincts in the penalty box. Everton stood off Ferdinand as he attacked the right channel and that gave him the time to find Sinclair whose fierce 25 yard drive was tipped onto the post by Southall but the save left the goalkeeper helpless to deal with the rebound that Allen reacted too quickest and slid into the empty net.

The goal of the game sealed Allen’s hat trick. Roared on by a jubilant travelling support the R’s constructed a patient move through midfield with ray Wilkins at its heart.

Nobody took more than two touches as the ball was worked through Wilkins to Simon Barker, Sinclair, Ferdinand, Wilkins again, Bardsley and finally Allen in the penalty box who brought the ball down with his chest and toed it past Southall and into the corner as the goalkeeper sprang from his line. A magnificent, total football goal.

Afterwards Allen said: “It was our best performances of the season. We played some great football and I had the good fortune of scoring three goals. We passed the ball, the movement off the ball was very good and the defence was rock solid.”

Rangers were now fourth in the Premier League, three points shy of second placed Aston Villa. And what happened next? Well, something only QPR could conjure. They managed to become the first team to lose at newly promoted Swindon Town who had lost ten and drawn five of their first 15 Premier League games and had a man sent off just 17 minutes into the game.

Typical Rangers.

QPR 4-2 Everton: Roberts; Bardsley, Peacock, McDonald, Wilson; Barker, Holloway, Wilkins, Sinton; Ferdinand Penrice

Subs not used: Impey, Maddix, Stejskal

Everton: Southall; Jenkins, Ablett, Watson, Keown; Horne, Warzycha (Kearton 19), Kenny, Beagrie (Barlow 49); Beardsley, Rideout

Subs not used: Savijvio

Attendance: 14,802

Everton 3-5 QPR: Roberts; Bardsley, Peacock, McDonald, Wilson; Impey, Holloway, Wilkins, Sinton (Barker 81); Ferdinand, Allen

Subs not used: Ready, Stejskal

Everton: Southall; Jackson (Barlow 28), Watson, Ablett, Hinchcliffe; Ward (Preki 54), Ebbrell, Snodin, Horne; Beardsley, Cottee

Subs not used: Kearton

Attendance: 19,057

Eveton 0-3QPR: Stejskal, Bardsley, Peacock, Yates, Wilson, Sinclair, Wilkins, Barker, Impey, Ferdinand, Allen

Attendance: 17,089

Highlights >>> Everton 0 QPR 3, 93/94 >>> Everton 3 QPR 5, 92/93 >>> QPR 4 Everton 2, 92/93 >>> QPR 1 Everton 0, 87/88 >>> Everton 2 QPR 0, 84/85 >>> QPR 0 Everton 0, 84/85 >>> QPR 1 Everton 5, 77/78 >>> QPR 5 Everton 0, 75/76 >>> Everton 0 QPR 2, 75/76

Connections

Kevin McLeod >>> Everton 2000-2003 >>> QPR 2003-2005

There are certainly no shortage of stories about players at QPR who wasted their potential down the years, but I certainly think Kevin McLeod is worthy of mention in that category.

He’d grown up in Everton’s cup and league winning youth team that produced Wayne Rooney and others. Despite having a pair of feet so tiny it was hard to see how he could stand up McLeod boasted not only decent ball control and speed down the flank, but also a deceptive ability in the air that meant he was often utilised as a second striker while with the Toffees, and on occasions at QPR including one night at Preston when the bookie in the away end found a flurry of money coming his way when he quoted a 33/1 first goal price for Rangers’ centre forward that evening. He had the last laugh needless to say.

With first team opportunities limited to substitute appearances in cup competitions McLeod headed to Rangers, initially on loan, as Ian Holloway’s men qualified for the Second Division play off final in 2003. He replaced Lee Cook on the left wing, a popular loanee from Watford who had unfortunately used up his full three month quota before the end of the campaign and was therefore forced to return to Vicarage Road before the end of the season. Some feared the impact of Cook’s departure given that his initial arrival had turned around a dreadful run of form that included the infamous cup exit to Vauxhall Motors but McLeod proved to be a more than able deputy, looking particularly impressive in his first away match as the R’s won 3-1 up at Blackpool.

Two matches later, after he’d played a part in a memorable 2-1 win at Cardiff, he bagged both goals in a home win against Luton Town and it seemed as if Rangers had a player on their hands. He was unfortunate not open the scoring in the first minute of the play off semi final second leg at Loftus Road against Oldham as well but saw his shot saved by Pogliacomi in the Oldham goal.

Another loan spell followed the next season before QPR used money from the sale of Richard Langley to secure McLeod’s signature permanently from Goodison Park. In the 2003/04 promotion season he played 39 times and scored four goals but after moving up a division Rangers splashed out to bring Lee Cook back to Loftus Road permanently. Two into one simply didn’t go and after a pretty even tussle for places initially — McLeod helped seal a famous win over title chasing Wigan with a superb run and cross for Paul Furlong’s last minute winner while Cook scored a flying header in a memorable 3-2 home victory against Leicester — it was the former Watford man who claimed the place on a regular basis.

That seemed somewhat harsh on McLeod who’d done little wrong, and he seemed to fnd his feet again at Swansea City under Kenny Jackett who’d been the assistant to Holloway at Rangers when McLeod first moved there. He scored seven goals in the opening six games of Swansea’s 2005/06 season but he was transfer listed in March that year for repeated breaches of club discipline relating to alcohol. Amid tales of him enjoying the London life with his old mate Francis Jeffers a little too much his career has since nosedived through Colchester, Brighton (where he was hampered by injury and weight issues) and Wycombe clocking up barely 70 appearances in total. Trials with Aldershot, Port Vale and St Mirren failed to yield deals so he then moved into non-league with Braintree, Redbridge, Thurrock and more recently Chelmsford.

Cook of course went on to achieve cult hero status at QPR and a £2.5m move to Premier League side Fulham just before his knee fell apart. Strange how two careers can take such different paths based on the decision of one manager about which of them should play more regularly.

Others >>> Richard Dunne, QPR 2013-present, Everton 1996-2000 >>> Andy Johnson, QPR 2012-present, Everton 2006-2008 >>> John Spencer, QPR 1996-1998, Everton 1998-1999 >>> Matt Jackson, Everton 1991-1996, QPR (loan) 1996 >>> Kenny Sansom, QPR 1989-1991, Everton 1993 >>> Peter Reid, Everton 1982-1989, QPR 1989-1990 >>> Andy King, Everton 1976-1980, QPR 1980-1981 >>>Dave Thomas, QPR 1972-1977, Everton 1977- 1979 >>> Peter Eastoe, QPR 1976-1979, Everton 1979-1982 >>> Dave Thomas, QPR 1972-1977, Everton 1977- 1979 >>> Mickey Walsh, Everton 1978, QPR 1978-1981

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Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images



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TacticalR added 00:06 - Jan 4
Great stuff. That was some patch in the 1990s when we always seemed to beat Everton.
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