Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End

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QUEENS PARK RANGERS 3
PRESTON NORTH END 0
SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY 1973
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
QUEENS PARK RANGERS kept up their push for
promotion with a fantastic display of crisp passing
football and dynamic goals.
The R’s went into this fixture in second place in
Division Two, while Preston were eighth but only four
points behind.
It was a cold and drizzly day in west London and the
pitch was soft. Rangers were decimated by injuries,
with six first-choice players ruled out, including
captain Terry Venables. So boss Gordon Jago
reshuffled his pack, adopting a 4-2-4 formation that
tore the visitors’ defence to shreds.
Early QPR pressure paid off as the opening goal
arrived on 18 minutes when wide man Mike Ferguson,
playing only his third full game of the season, sent a
long pass out to the right. This allowed Givens to beat
North End’s offside trap and coolly drill in off the far
post to cement his place as Division Two’s leading
goalscorer.
Preston offered very little in reply and only mounted
two serious attacks in the whole game. Alec Spark
sent a free-kick through the wall but R’s keeper Phil
Parkes made a stunning save, then Alan Tarbuck’s
header was brilliantly stopped by Parkes at full stretch.
Our second goal came in the 68th minute and
Ferguson was again the provider. He cleverly picked
out Givens, who lashed home his 18th of the season.
After substitute Barry Salvage had powered a couple
of efforts inches off target, Rangers completed the
scoring in the last minute when Ferguson’s through
ball put Gerry Francis clear to round goalkeeper Alan
Kelly and stroke in a firm finish.
RANGERS: Parkes, Hazell, Watson, Leach (Salvage
53), Mancini, Hunt, Ferguson, Francis, Thomas,
Bowles, Givens.
Attendance: 10,519
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