QPR drew 0-0 away from home for the third game in a row, with the latest stalemate coming at Charlton on Friday night – Jamie Perry had the pleasure for LFW.

I do sometime wonder if other teams have as many bogey grounds as QPR. Nottingham Forest and Blackburn we know all about, but places such as West Brom and Norwich have also been unhappy hunting grounds in recent times (not ideal when you’ve played Norwich more than any other team in history).

One that has gone a bit under the radar until this week though is The Valley. Rangers have only won once here in 13 visits going back to 1987 nearly 40 years ago (spoiler alert QPR didn’t improve that record on Friday night either) and even that win was nearly 20 years ago way back in 2007.

All of this, plus the presence of certain misters Kelman and Dykes - Charlton started both here, bastards - meant the R’s travelled South of the River with trepidation for a Friday night encounter live on Sky.

You could picture it before kick-off couldn’t you? The week after the Lord Mayor’s Show where Rangers beat top of the league Coventry, away at a team in a relegation battle, Dykes and Kelman running around having a lovely old time, both getting on the scoresheet, Nathan Jones buzzing about like a demented flea, dropping down to his knees and giving it the biggun for the cameras. Puts the dick in Addicks that bloke. A long old night in store.

QPR spent the first half of the game trying to make sure this picture of hell became a reality.

Charlton, led by Lyndon the Bruce, were direct and effective. When they lost the ball, they dropped back into a disciplined, tight shape and waited for the away side to make a mistake, stifling any chance Rangers had of getting an attack together and forcing them into the monotonous Walsh, Cook, Dunne, circle of doom. I thought they played us brilliantly, annoyingly exactly what you’d expect from a Nathan Jones’ team, but with new crazy ideas like Conor Coady in central midfield to stop players with any sort of pace terrorising his nightmares as Rumarn Burrell did when we went to up to Wrexham.

On 11 minutes, Isaac Hayden lost the ball to Greg Doherty in a dangerous area and the Charlton midfielder fed the ball into Dykes for a shot from the edge of the box which thankfully flew over. Ten minutes later a long throw into the box also fell to our former charge, but again his shot on the spin ballooned over. Dykes was putting in the type of physical centre-forward performance we only saw once in a blue moon in our colours (usually when we played Preston) but thankfully his finishing was as wild and dangerous to those behind goal as ever. Still, a constant nuisance to Rangers’ backline. Of course, he saved this type of industry until he played us, cheers Lyndon.

Soon Charlton were in down the right after a sliced clearance by Ronnie Edwards which ended with Charlie Kelman teeing up Sonny Carey for a shot blocked by Hayden, this was recycled via a long ball that saw Edwards foul Dykes just outside the box and the subsequent free-kick was reversed around the wall by Liverpool loanee Luke Chambers but well saved by Joe Walsh alert to the trick shot.

Before all of this, however, the West Londoners were perhaps a little lucky not to be reduced to ten men. Five minutes into the match a header clearance from Steve Cook landed in midfield for Coady to head back our way. As the ex- Everton defender did so he was also greeted by a high boot by Harvey Vale which left him bloody and needing to be bandaged up. Having watched it back he’s kicked him in the head, straight leg, studs up. Vale escaped with a yellow only possibly under the rule of ‘it’s a bit early yet’. I think we might have got away with one. If I was the other way around…

On 33 minutes, the hosts had their best chance of the game. A half-cleared corner was returned into the Rangers box by Carey, flicked on by Lloyd Jones and off Kayne Ramsey’s outstretched hand. While the Rangers team defenders appealed in vain for a flag the ball broke to Conor Coady six yards out. Luckily Walsh was alive and alert, getting out quickly to make himself big and pull of a great save with his leg. Massive let off and soon Dykes was played through only to be denied by a huge tackle by Cook. The ex- Bournemouth man was excellent here again as he has been in recent weeks, showing again why Stephan is picking him every week despite the Edwards signing. No real surprise to see him outpace Big Lynd in this circumstance, but he ran past Ronnie too in a slow-motion race I’m surprised isn’t still going on now.

QPR managed to get to half time without conceding, which was all you could hope for from a half in which we’d barely been in the opposition half. A shame to see last week’s three up at opposition corners adventure replaced with all 11 back here, it meant every time we cleared our lines Charlton could just hang it straight back on us. Which they did, frequently. There was a distinct lack of attacking outlets, with Koki Saito having a particularly poor game wide right.

Fortunately, the R’s started to make gradual improvements in the second 45.

Not straight away, of course. That would be too easy. Early on second horseman of the apocalypse Kelman found himself with space in the box to turn and release a shot which Walsh again saved well with his fingertips. There were further scares on 54 when Chambers got free down the left and saw his cross-shot beaten away by Walsh and then three minutes later Ronnie Edwards got caught under a long ball and sent a clearing header the wrong way back towards his own goal. Unfortunately for Handsome Ron he then slipped when trying to recover allowing Dykes a free hit at a volley which Walsh again did well to save before Jimmy Dunne scrambled away for a corner.

The Hoops keeper here having arguably his best game for the club to date, much-maligned in the early games this season, apart from a couple of instances such as the Wrexham debacle, he’s starting to turn a lot of people’s opinion (including mine) since he came back into the side. I’d probably still see what can be done in the summer in goal but for now it’s just nice to have a bit of consistency there and not playing keeper roulette every week.

The R’s first half-chance came on 52 minutes when following a long ball Vale robbed the ball from Chambers and fed into Richard Kone. The Ivorian had looked isolated up to this point but still worked hard and did well holding the ball up on the rare occasions it came his way. His flick onto Nicolas Madsen was intercepted but broke free and was toed back his way by the Danish midfielder. Kone created a bit of space for himself but dragged his shot wide.

On 62, Madsen had a shot blocked from the edge of the box before the Addicks went up the other end and saw a long throw, fortunately from a Rangers perspective, fall to defender Ramsey in a good position who volleyed over. The later introduction of Tyreece Campbell saw the Charlton man put in a cross that Carey half- volleyed over.

QPR though, just as they did away at Stoke a few weeks ago, posed all of their threat towards the end of the match and especially in stoppage time. On 65, Ramsey nearly played Richard Kone clean through on his own goal but home keeper Thomas Kaminski got there just ahead, on 73 a 1-2 between Kone and Vale set the midfielder away into all kinds of space towards the Charlton box, but lack of support meant he had to go alone, and he lashed a shot over the bar.

Ten from time some good work from substitute Daniel Bennie down the left saw Kone lay off to Madsen for a shot straight at the keeper. Into eight minutes of injury time and Bennie’s cross was blocked for a corner which Madsen delivered right onto Steve Cook’s head, but his attempt flew millimetres over the bar.

A minutes later and the chance to win the game came and went. Some harrying from Hayden and Bennie saw the ball fall to Vale and he chipped a ball over the top to free Madsen. First time on the bounce the midfielder played a ball across the box past the retreating defenders and there was Rayan Kolli on from the bench, all alone, with only the keeper to beat. The youngstrr went with his right foot, when perhaps a lifted effort with his left would’ve been better and could only lift the ball into Kaminski’s chest and out for a corner. In truth it’s a great save, brave and strong just like Walsh’s from Coady in the first half, and the pass was played probably just too far in front of the striker.

From the resulting corner Jimmy Dunne met the ball with a header that deflected off a defender and had Kaminski beaten all ends up but again guess who, Lyndon Dykes was there to clear of the line. Cheers again Lyndon, all those times we stuck up for you. The last throw of the dice saw Hayden flick a Kolli cross just wide.

Despite this late flurry a draw was probably a fair result. Seven away games without a win now for QPR and a third consecutive away 0-0. The first time Rangers have done this since 1910 when they played in the Southern League as per Jack Supple. Another game where Rangers had more possession but couldn’t take all three points.

Just like the game at whatever Stoke call their wind tunnel these days a feeling of whether it could’ve been more if we had shown a little bit more ambition like we did in injury time. It’s all there for you just reach out and grab it.

Or maybe if a few more Chair or Burrell types were available perhaps, with a full squad we could feasibly have seen a situation where we could have added at least six more points from this run of fixtures and be in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

I know Clive has mentioned this recently, but he’s absolutely correct that your best ability is availability. If we are serious about kicking on and pushing for the play-offs next year you can’t have this many players out injured post- Christmas as has happened two years in a row now. The news today that Karamoko Dembele is out for the season with an ACL just another one to add to the list.

On a positive note, though, that is also now three away games unbeaten. Another clean sheet and monstrous performance from our centre-backs and a very solid showing from our goalkeeper. We’re finding a way to keep clean sheets and eek out points from awkward situations. Not quite the typical bloody Rangers result we all feared beforehand, and a far cry from the Coventry away game I had to write up earlier in the season.

With the context of the injuries and the amount of attacking players out, it maybe isn’t a surprise we look so toothless away from home. We complained how open we looked at the start of the season; we’ve now stodged up in away games and maybe until all the missing players come back that’s the best we can hope for.

I’m not overly convinced, but if you win your home games and draw your away games, you’ll put yourself in a good position in this league. If you can’t win, don’t lose. Bristol City made the play-offs last year winning only one of their last 15 away games. Seven of those were draws including a 1-1 at Loftus Road.

In his post-match interview, Julien Stephan said that “a win next week validates this point”. This may be true, but it adds a lot of pressure onto your home games, especially when your next one is against another struggling side that you’re favourite to beat in Blackburn Rovers.

Links >>> Ratings and Reports >>> Message Board Match Thread

Charlton: Kaminski 7; Ramsey 5, Jones 6, Bell 6, Clarke 5, Chambers 6 (Campbell 75, 5), Coady 6, Docherty 5 (Berry 90, -), Carey 6, Kelman 5 (Godden 70, 5), Dykes 7

Subs not used: Mannion, Coventry, Fevrier, Gillesphey, Sichenje, Rankin- Costello

Yellow Cards: Chambers 47 (foul), Clarke 90+6 (foul)

QPR: Walsh 7, Edwards 6, Dunne 7, Cook 7, Norrington- Davies 6, Saito 5 (Bennie 58, 6), Hayden 6, Madsen 6, Smyth 5 (Kolli 77, 6), Vale 5, Kone 6

Subs not used: Hamer, Smith, Mbengue, Adamson, Esquerdinha, Alemayehu, Morgan

Yellow Card: Vale 4 (kicking Conor Coady in the head)

QPR Star Man - Joe Walsh 7 Steve Cook as he has been in recent weeks was immense here, but Walsh made some key saves in the first half to keep QPR in the game. The one to deny Coady in particular was brilliant. I’m happy for him after that start to the season that he seems to be making the No.1 shirt his own, long may it continue.

Referee Tom Nield (West Yorkshire) 5 A late replacement for the advertised James Bell. Seems to be influenced very easily by the home crowd, but we know that about this official from our previous meetings. Seems very keen on having an easy life. The Vale foul could easily have been a red card later in the game, it also looked like a Ramsey handball for the Coady chance and a Madsen cross in stoppage time looked like it could’ve been handballed by a Charlton player in the box. Because of this it was never going to be a high mark.

Attendance: 21,290 apparently (3303 QPR) To arrive at the ground half an hour before kick-off, to find a scrum outside the ground with half the away end in it that led to a bottleneck into the ground should not be happening at this level. I spoke to a police officer who was stood in the middle of this on the way in and he said he had positioned himself there as he saw some children getting crushed in the ongoing melee. For some QPR fans it took 45 minutes to get into the ground, and they didn’t make their seats until 20 minutes after kick- off. From what some of the stewards and my Charlton supporting mate have said this isn’t the first time this has happened with away fans at The Valley; fuck knows what it was like when Millwall were here. This type of crush is dangerous. One of the people I came with has a chronic pain condition and having eventually got into the ground asked the stewards if they could hurry up a little bit so she could get to her seat and sit down having been in pain from the crush, this apparent sin was greeted by two older male stewards shouting in her face accusing her of refusing to let them search her bag when her bag had been open the entire time. This is an absolute disgrace in 2026 and should not be happening. Do better.

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