Hero Toni finally fells Forest on home turf
AS CHRISTMAS presents go, this has been a long, long wait.
After 84 years, Queens Park Rangers have finally won a game at Nottingham Forest.
They started trying in 1934 and 35 games later, 20 of them lost, they have made it.
No club in English football history had gone so long without winning at an away ground until their Captain Fantastic, Toni Leistner, powered in a header right on half-time.
It took a tremendous save in the second half by Joe Lumley, flying to turn Adlene Guedioura’s 35-yarder on to the crossbar to make history.
But 18 managers on, Steve McClaren is the man to break the hodoo.
He said: “It’s good to get that monkey off your back.
“We know Nottingham Forest is a tough place to come but I thought the players were magnificent.
“It was a great team effort. No outstanding individual, just everyone doing their job. I am so proud of the players.
“I don’t know exactly how far this team can go but we don’t want to waste this result – and the one we had before this in beating Middlesbrough. We must build on them against Ipswich on Boxing Day.”
Forest were dreadfully poor and Guedioura’s blinder of a shot was their only dangerous moment
That is two successive 1-0 home defeats for Forest that seriously damages their promotion bid.
Boss Aitor Karanka said: “It is soon January when the market opens.
“If some of these players don’t want to be here and don’t have the mentality, then maybe we have to change.
“We didn’t approach this game in the way we needed to. If you don’t play to your best in the Championship it is impossible to win.
“In the first half, I think we were playing a friendly game or a training session. If I had an explanation for that I would tell you.”
With half-time imminent, Leistner got a thumping hea to Luke Freeman’s pinpoint free-kick
There won’t be a better Christmas present for QPR fans this year.