When in need, call AA

His shot was blocked as Clarets settled into their stride with Hyde next to show, his long range effort being tipped away by Day at full stretch.

McGreal's outstretched toe was enough to beat Gallen in an early QPR attack, though in fairness there was little threat from the visitors.

Clarets were at times sloppy in their passing, forward passes were something of a rare commodity and the game was off pace and generally lacking in entertainment. Baidoo brightened up a dull first half with a fresh air shot, before Gallen beat both Jensen and the far post with a curled free kick, but in truth neither side had a cutting edge in the opening half hour.

The best move in the period came from the Clarets, when Camara's surging run set up Branch and he in turn squared the ball to Bowditch who elected to shoot (over) with Akinbiyi well placed and unmarked.

With the game bordering on the dull, the crowd was flat, there was though a nice sunset to watch as the two sides played out a "nothing to play for" game.
 
From a QPR corner, Bowditch brought the crowd to life with a seventy yard attacking run ending in a good cross that fell between Akinbiyi and Grant.

An injury to Baidoo put paid to his first start of the season, Hamilton coming on after twenty five minutes, but the change had little impact on the game.

Cahill's superb tackle on Cureton put paid to a final attack in the half from the visitors, but catching the eye from the home side was Akinbiyi defying the taunts from the visitors section with endless running and a presence up front that at least gave the visiting defenders cause for concern and it was he who opened the scoring three minutes from the break.

Cahill's unchallenged advance from the back saw him put in a deep cross to the far side of the area from where Branch powered a header back across goal and in a virtual rerun of Saturday's opening goal in stooped Akinbiyi to head into the corner of the net, putting Clarets in front.

HT 1-0.

Sub Hamilton was subbed at the beginning of the half and Townsend almost missed team green's huddle in the commotion to get him on the field.

Once underway, the game continued its pace as in the first half. Branch saw a shot deflected over, but only a goal kick was given and as play switched to the other end QPR almost snatched an equaliser from a free kick. Bircham's low drive was superbly stopped on the line by the strong right hand of the Beast who could only have seen the ball late.

Rangers again pressed on the hour mark but good defending from both Camara and McGreal kept the visitors at bay. Bowditch picked up his first Clarets booking on the hour mark, before an injured Bircham had to be stretchered from the field following an innocuous challenge, Mulholland coming on for his debut as Ian Holloway struggled with a cruel sequence of injuries.

Branch enjoyed a run down the left, beating three in the process, but not fourth man Kanyuka who earned a deserved yellow for a tackle lacking subtlety. The resulting free kick was a gem of a curled effort from Camara that beat Day all ends up shaving the outside of the left post and bringing both the crowd and game to life.

McGreal stopped another attack with a superbly timed interception and then the Beast was called into action, superbly saving at the feet of Cureton after an untimely slip by Cahill.

Ten minutes from time, Clarets put together the best move of the game and sealed their first win in four games. The move began with a solid tackle from McGreal and he fed O'Connor to set the Clarets in motion.

O'Connor slipped a sublime diagonal pass down the left that Camara did extremely well to win in the face of two defenders, moving forwards he hit a low cross across the face of goal that left Akinbiyi with a simple finish from six yards, the speed and flow of the attack creating all the damage to QPR.

Understandably, QPR's youngsters floundered as Clarets moved up a gear, Bowditch hit a first time shot over and Edghill blocked Akinbiyi's attempt for a hat-trick.

Increasing the win bonuses, Roche replaced Bowditch, then Oster came on for Grant with five minutes remaining as Clarets saw out the victory. Steve Cotterill saved the best until last allowing Akinbiyi a well deserved round of applause, when substituting the striker in injury time, Jean Louis Valois getting a rare run out.

One final chance fell to the visitors and the Beast again did well, preserving a first clean sheet in nine when out quickly to block after a blatant push on McGreal had gone unpunished.

So it's on now to Forest, where relegation matters are the focal point, not though for mid-table Clarets. How many of us predicted a season of unthreatened safety last August?

Att:- 10,396

Sour grapes
Even the Category B status for this game couldn't stop the lowest home gate of the season though it was hardly surprising in the circumstances of nothing to play for and two home games in four days.

A fine Claret
With a few to choose from, my vote goes to John McGreal, who never put a foot or head wrong in the game. Once again the partnership with Gary Cahill looked watertight and Johnny Mac's reading of the game allied to some superb tackles surely puts him in front of the stadium vote which went to Graham Branch?