Bidwell strike ends Rangers Cup curse
FA CUP cheer is so rare around these parts that you can probably forgive Queens Park Rangers’ players for their lap of honour after dumping out Championship leaders Leeds. Despite sitting just eight places behind their opponents in the league, this felt like a monumental win for a club that had not reached the fourth round without the aid of a replay since beating Tranmere in 1996. Since then, replays have been needed to get the better of Huddersfield, Luton, Torquay, MK Dons and West Bromwich. It will have been to Steve McClaren’s relief that another wasn’t needed after Jake Bidwell rose to head home Luke Freeman’s corner 15 minutes from time. The goal also ensured QPR avoided the unwanted distinction of becoming the first club to lose 50 third-round ties. McClaren made five changes to the side he picked on New Year’s Day and opposite number Marcelo Bielsa had revealed his team, and all six changes, during his press conference on Friday. But it was one of Leeds’ trusted regulars who set the tone for a ferocious first half, Tyler Roberts seeing his fizzing drive smack both uprights before rolling to safety with barely 30 seconds gone. QPR matched the intensity, drawing mistakes from the visitors with their pace. ‘You can make a mistake during a game but generally the performance was good,’ said Bielsa. ‘Today we made too many mistakes and we can’t say we did many good things.’ Their most telling error of the first half was Leif Davis’s foul on Bidwell that presented Aramide Oteh with a chance to put the hosts ahead from the spot. Despite howls from the Leeds supporters behind the goal, the 20-year-old made no mistake. The same cannot be said for Matt Ingram, who spilled a straightforward Lewis Baker free-kick into the path of Aapo Halme, who gratefully accepted the gift to tap home the equaliser moments later. That had looked likely to set up the replay neither side wanted, until Bidwell arrived to get Loftus Road up for the Cup.