A blog of two halves

Matt Smith pushes for starting role

Despite starting just two league games this season, Matt Smith is joint top goalscorer at QPR.

17 November 2017
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Matt Smith (left) is joint top goalscorer at QPR. PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES

Despite starting just two league games this season, Matt Smith is joint top goalscorer at QPR.

The bulky striker has four goals to his name and is now pushing for a position in the starting eleven.

Team-mates Conor Washington and Idrissa Sylla have spearheaded the R’s attack from the first whistle but Smith has decided matters on a number of occasions after coming off the bench.

Smith netted the winner in the 2-1 victory against Wolves after being introduced to the action by Ian Holloway but does not want to be labelled a super sub.

Three points over high-flying Sheffield United followed but then the QPR sharpshooters could not hit a barn door in the 4-0 drumming at Forest before the international break.

Tomorrow (18 November) the Rangers strike force come face to face with one of the best centre-backs to have graced the English game in John Terry who leads the Aston Villa defence.

The former Chelsea defender may be in the autumn of his career but the R’s players will know they have been in a game come five o’clock Saturday afternoon.

Steve Bruce’s in-form side should bring the best out of Holloway’s men who seem to prefer the tougher opponents after taking the scalps of Ipswich, Wolves and Sheffield United so far this season.

Villa have picked up nineteen points in the last nine games and are stubborn opposition when they play away from home.

Washington may be a little in the dumps after Northern Ireland lost their chance to go to the World Cup this summer but he has Sylla and Smith breathing down his neck so there is little time to contemplate what could have been.

Time waits for no man. The Championship odyssey continues.

Meanwhile, QPR will be holding a food and coin collection for Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank before the game tomorrow.

Please bring down any non-perishable food to Loftus Road and help QPR to fight food poverty in H&F.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Nick Skoric

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