Early Warn-ing for Rangers as Vale wreck dream start
QPR (1) v/s PORT VALE (3)
QUEENS PARK RANGERS were brought back down to earth with a bump following last night after they crashed out of the Carling Cup to Port Vale.
Neil Warnock’s men enjoyed a dream start to the new league campaign with a thumping 4-0 opening day victory over Barnsley at Loftus Road on Saturday.
But a near full-strength team succumbed to the League One Valiants who cruised into a 3-0 lead through Marc Richards’s brace and a goal from Sean Rigg, before substitute Antonio German replied for the R’s.
But Rangers weren’t the only Championship team to struggle on a night of cup shocks.
David James’ Bristol City twice let slip a lead as they went down 3-2 at cash-strapped League Two side Southend, while last season’s play-off semi-finalists Nottingham Forest also squandered a lead to League Two opposition, going down 2-1 at League Two Bradford.
Barnsley suffered a 1-0 home defeat by Rochdale, Derby lost 1-0 at Crewe while Doncaster were humbled 2-1 at home by Accrington Stanley.
A last-minute winner from Alan Lee helped George Burley’s Crystal Palace to a 1-0 win at Yeovil, while Millwall, Brentford and Leyton Orient were also left flying the capital flag with 2-1 wins over Wycombe, Cheltenham and Swindon respectively.
Charlton, meanwhile, let slip a 3-0 lead to crash 4-3 in a thriller at Shrewsbury.
Two goals from Pawel Abbott and a Lee Martin strike put the Addicks in control before Jake Robinson, Danny O’Donnell, Matt Harrold and a Yado Mambo own goal completed an unlikely comeback.
Dagenham & Redbridge went down 2-1 at Milton Keynes Dons, while Barnet lost 3-0 at Swansea.